A New Life
by Christina TM
Summary: Gordon Bombay gets a phone call that will change his life forever...COMPLETED
1. Prologue

AUTHOR'S NOTES: This is the first part of _The New Series. _There are five more stories planned in this series: _A New Team, A New Beginning, A New School, A New Family, _and _A New Addition. _That is, provided that I get enough reviews and have enough time on my hands. This story deviates from the established parameters of the movie a little, so consider it Alternate Universe. I have used the time between the release of _The Mighty Ducks _and _D2 _(two years) for this series. At the time I wrote this, I didn't know that Gordon's age had been plugged into the movies anywhere, but I did know that Emilio Estevez was thirty when _The Mighty Ducks _was filmed. So I just used that as Gordon's age. I know that is contradicted in _D2, _but like I said, this is Alternate Universe. We won't be seeing much of the Ducks themselves here. The fic centers mainly on Gordon and Kaley. Maybe the Ducks will get a cameo later on, but I'm not sure. If you would like to be notified of updates, please tell me in your review and leave your email. If you would not like to be notified, let me know that as well.

WARNING: The beginning of this story is pretty angsty and deals with some stuff some people might not be comfortable with. But the angst lightens up later (I'm saving it for _A New Beginning_).

PROLOGUE

The green Bug veered in front of them, then into the right lane, then back into the left lane.

"Goodness." Her mother said. "This guy's going like a bat out of Hades! I'm going to pass him. I certainly don't want to be behind him if he causes an accident."

The blond-haired, blue-eyed girl nodded from where she sat in the passenger's seat. Her thoughts were focused on hockey-as they usually were-and her game that Saturday. She wasn't feeling very well, but she chalked it up to allergies. Anyway, she knew better than to miss practice before a game.

Her mother turned on the blinker and began to pass the Bug. Right as she did so, the Bug veered back into their lane and broadsided their car. Before the girl knew what was going on, she and her mother were tumbling down a steep hill. The car turned over and over, tossing them everywhere. When it finally came to a rest at the bottom of the hill, the girl's mother was draped over her. 

_What happened? _She thought. _Why am I upside down? Why is Mom on top of me? Why does my chest hurt?_

"What's going on here?"

"Is anyone hurt?"

Voices. She could hear voices. A light peeked in the window. "Two women." A man's voice said. "Both unconscious."

"I'm awake." The girl tried to say, but it came out like "Mwake."

"Scratch that! One of them's awake!" The man's voice said, opening the door. He crawled in. "Can you hear me, young lady?"

She couldn't answer him. "Hockey." She managed. "I'm late for hockey. Coach Evans'll kill me."

The man felt her cheek. "This girl's in shock! Call an ambulance!"

_Shock? _The girl thought. She was cold, so cold. Where was she? How had she gotten here? A weight was lifted off her and someone picked her out of her bed…no, it wasn't her bed! Where was she? She wanted to fight. But her body wouldn't move. _Am I dead?_

"All right, let's get her in the ambulance!" Another man's voice said.

_Ambulance? I don't need an ambulance. _She thought. She couldn't see. She couldn't hear. All she knew was pain through her whole body as a curtain of darkness descended on her.


	2. Chapter One: The Call

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I must admit that I do not know much about Baltimore, just that it's located in the center of Maryland and it's HOT in the summer. So I'm just reconstructing it from what I remember of my last visit…oh…(counts on fingers) nigh on eight years ago now.

A NEW LIFE – CHAPTER ONE – THE CALL

Gordon Bombay felt a small lump in his throat as he boarded the bus that would take him to try for minor league hockey team the Minnesota Waves. The Ducks, the peewee hockey team that he had coached for the season, stood on the sidewalk cheering him on.

A few months ago, Gordon had been a hotshot lawyer who'd never lost. He played hard, he played dirty, and he'd do absolutely anything to win a case. But, when arrested for drunk driving and slapped with a community service assignment, he had to coach a misfit group of peewee hockey players who'd never won. The team, known as District 5, was _bad. _They could not skate, they could not score, they could not win. Reluctantly, Gordon took the assignment and discovered there were more important things in life than winning. But District 5 couldn't do _anything _until they at least had decent equipment. Most of the kids were using bike or football helmets, they were all wearing old newspapers for shin pads, and they sure as heck didn't have uniforms. So Gordon had gone back to his firm and spoken with his boss, Mr. Ducksworth. Using his negotiating skills, he had convinced the firm to sponsor the team, and the team would be named after the firm.

So District 5 became the Ducks. And they became actual hockey players. Before they knew it, the team made the playoffs, where they had to battle the Hawks. Gordon had played for the Hawks when he was a kid, but he'd stopped after blowing the state championship game. Gordon still counted 1973 as the worst year of his life-his father had died of a heart attack just before Gordon's birthday, and Gordon had lost the state championship for his team. Since then, the Hawks were undefeated. But Gordon had a chance to end their championship streak, and he was going to. The Ducks flew through the playoffs, making it to second place behind the Hawks. Meaning that they would have to face the Hawks in the championship game.

Looking back on that game, Gordon thought it was great. But while the game was actually happening, his heart had been in his throat. The game had even come down to a penalty shot, just as Gordon's had twenty years ago. Gordon chose Charlie Conway to take the shot, and it went in. As soon as that puck hit the back of the net, he felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

Now, thinking about the months he had spent with the Ducks, Gordon realized it was the best time of his life. He'd gotten his old love of the game back, aand he'd gotten to know a great bunch of kids. Charlie had become like a son to him, and in Charlie's mother Gordon had found his one shot at true love that hadn't ended in heartbreak. His last shot…well…he didn't want to think about that right now.

Gordon's pager vibrated, breaking him out of his reverie. Unclipping the small gray piece of plastic from his belt, he squinted to read the number. He didn't recognize it.

_Hm…wonder who that could be. _Gordon thought, putting the pager back on his belt. He'd have to call as soon as he got home.

Three hours later, Gordon stumbled into his apartment. _What a test of endurance! _He thought. Of course, he hadn't done any strenuous exercise in a long time. Every muscle in his body ached. He made his way to the couch and flopped down. No sooner had he made contact with the couch than his pager went off again. Groaning, Gordon checked the number. It was the same one he'd seen earlier. Pressing the "review" button, Gordon discovered that the number had also shown up on his pager four times while he was at tryouts.

_Whoever this is must really want me to call him. _He thought, forcing his body to the telephone and dialing the number. After one ring, a deep male voice answered, "Baltimore General Hospital Intensive Car Unit, this is Dr. Philip Dantzscher, may I help you?"

_Huh? _Gordon thought, looking at the number again. _Baltimore?_

"Hello?" The doctor on the other end asked. 

"My name is Gordon Bombay." Gordon quickly identified himself. "Your number just showed up on my pager."

"Oh, Mr. Bombay." The doctor said. "I'm Dr. Philip Dantzscher, I work in the ICU at Baltimore General Hospital."

"Yes, you already mentioned that." Gordon said. "Dr. Dantzscher, are you sure you have the right number? I don't know anyone who lives in Baltimore."

"Please, call me Phil." Dr. Dantzscher said. "I have some…interesting…news to deliver. Did you ever know a young woman by the name of Ashley Heller?"

The name stabbed at Gordon like a sword, but he didn't let on. "I know an Ashley Heller in college." He said evenly. "Why?"

Phil cleared his throat. "How…well…did you know her?"

"We dated." Gordon said flatly.

"Did it ever go beyond that?" Phil continued the interrogation.

"You mean did I ever _sleep _with her?" Gordon asked testily.

"Well…yes." Phil said.

"Why are you asking me this?" Gordon asked. "What does it matter to you? Who _are _you?"

"I am Phil Dantzscher, a doctor in the ICU at Baltimore General Hospital." Phil said. "And I know it's embarrassing, but you need to answer the question."

Gordon could feel himself blushing to his hairline. _"Yes, _OK?" He said. "Now will you _please _tell me _what _is going on here?"

"Mr. Bombay, are you aware that Miss Heller had a daughter by you?" Phil asked.

"Yes." Gordon responded. Then suddenly it struck him. _Had. "Had _a daughter?" He asked. "What happened?"

"Miss Heller and her daughter, Kaley, were in a car accident last night." Phil said. "They were both brought here with very severe injuries. Miss Heller died just hours ago, right before I paged you the first time. Kaley is severely injured but will survive. Miss Heller had no living relatives and never made arrangements for Kaley should something like this happen, so you are Kaley's legal guardian by default."

Gordon took a moment to process the information. "You mean…_I _have to raise her?" He asked.

"Correct." Phil said. "Unless you refuse the guardianship, at which point Kaley will go to a foster home."

"No, no." Gordon said. "Doctor, are you sure you have the right Gordon Bombay?"

"There aren't many of you." Phil said. "Let's see here…is your full name Gordon Andrew Bombay?"

"It is." Gordon confirmed.

"Date of birth May 12, 1962 in Minneapolis, Minnesota?"

"Correct." Gordon said.

"Father Jeffrey Andrew Bombay, mother Janet Elizabeth Plank-Bombay?"

"Where did you get all this?" Gordon asked.

"Your birth certificate." Phil said.

"It's all true." Gordon said. "Is this a sick joke?"

"Far from it." Phil said. "Mr. Bombay, this is gravely serious. I need you out to Baltimore as fast as you can get here. You're still located in Minneapolis?"

"Yes, yes I am." Gordon said. "I can be on the next flight out, if you want."

"Good." Phil said. "In that case, I'll see you in about four hours."

"Right." Gordon said, hanging up the phone. His entire life had just been turned upside down. He was about to be reunited with the daughter he'd been estranged from for eleven years. And he had no idea what he was going to say to her.

On the three-hour flight to Baltimore, Gordon did some thinking. Part of him still thought this was one of his college buddies playing a sick prank on him. But he hadn't kept in touch with any of his college buddies, and none of them knew about this part of his life anyway. In fact, Gordon had never told anyone. He had avoided thinking about it for the past eleven years. It was just too painful.

Gordon and Ashley had met as freshmen in college. Looking back now, Gordon realized he'd never really loved her. It had just been a relationship, empty of anything real. But nevertheless, one night he convinced Ashley to sleep with him. One month later, he got the biggest surprise of his life.

_"Gordon, I'm pregnant."_

_Eighteen-year-old Gordon Bombay looked up at his girlfriend, Ashley Heller. "You're what?" He asked in disbelief._

_"I'm pregnant." Ashley repeated._

_Gordon swallowed. "Is it…?"_

_"Yes, it's yours." Ashley said._

_"It's mine." Gordon said, shaking his head in amazement. "I'm going to be a father."_

Ashley cleared her throat. "Gordon," she said, "I don't want you to be a part of my baby's life."

_Gordon felt like he'd just been kicked in the stomach. "What?"_

_"I don't want you to help me raise this baby." Ashley repeated._

_"But…it's _my _baby!" Gordon said. "You can't stop me from seeing my own child!"_

_"Yes, I can." Ashley said. "I'll put a restraining order against you if I have to."_

_"Why?" Gordon demanded. "It's my baby!"_

_"Because you don't love me." Ashley said. "If you loved me, you never would have made me sleep with you."_

_"I thought you _wanted _to!" Gordon defended himself. "I did it _because _I love you!"_

_"If you loved me you would never have even brought up the subject." Ashley said. "You would have respected me enough to see that I didn't want to sleep with you!"_

_"I love you, Ashley." Gordon forced himself to say the words._

_Ashley stood up. "I'll call you when the baby is born." She said. "You can come see it then." With that she left the room._

"Hey, buddy, the plane just landed." Gordon glanced up to see an unkempt young man leaning over his seat.

"Huh?" Gordon said, coming back to reality. "Oh…right. Thanks." 

After claiming his bag, Gordon went to the curb and hailed a taxi.

"Where to, sir?" The cabbie asked.

"Baltimore General Hospital." Gordon said.

The cabby nodded and sped off. The hospital was only about five minutes' drive from the airport, which felt like an eternity for Gordon. When they finally stopped at the airport, the cabby said, "That'll be seven bucks."

"Here." Gordon said, handing the cabby seven dollars.

"Thanks." The cabby said. "Have a good one."

"I'll do my best." Gordon said. He didn't know what to do with his luggage, so he dragged it into the hospital with him. It attracted more than a few stares as he tried to find the ICU on the directory. As he stepped onto the elevator, Gordon heard a woman say, "Goodness, I've heard of men who pack a lot when their wives come in here to have a baby, but never like _that!" _

When he arrived at the ICU, Gordon stopped at the nurse's station. "I'm looking for a Dr. Philip Dantzscher." He said.

"Right here." A deep male voice said. Gordon turned to see a dignified man in his early forties with graying black hair. "Mr. Bombay?" 

"That's me." Gordon said, returning the doctor's handshake. "So I guess this wasn't a sick joke after all."

Phil shook his head. "No, it's not."

"So, uh…how is she?" Gordon asked.

"Well, she's pretty banged up." Phil said. "The only reason Kaley is still alive is because the other vehicle struck her mother's side of the car."

"What are her injuries?" Gordon asked.

"Her most serious injury is a fractured sternum." Phil said. "After that, she's got a broken collarbone, left wrist, and right ankle. She's also got a mild concussion. When she came here, Kaley was bleeding internally, but we were able to stop it. She also has multiple scrapes and bruises.

Gordon gave a low whistle. "How long will she be here?"

"She won't be going home anytime soon." Phil said. "Her wrist will take about six weeks to heal. She'll need to stay here for at least that long-"

"In _Intensive Care?" _Gordon interrupted.

"No, no." Phil said quickly. "Provided that all goes well, she'll be here for two more weeks. After that, she'll be moved to the pediatric ward for observation."

"And how exactly will all this be paid for?" Gordon asked. There was no way _he _could pay for it.

"Miss Heller had insurance, this should be covered." Phil said.

_It better be. _Gordon thought. Then it struck him. "Miss Heller?" He asked. "So she never got married?"

Phil shrugged. "I'd assume so." He said. "Her name is Ashley Heller on her license, and she wasn't wearing a wedding band."

Gordon nodded. "Right." He said.

Phil dug into his pocket. "Here." He said. "You might want these."

Gordon took the set of keys Phil held out to him. "Keys?"

"They were in the ignition when the car crashed." Phil said. "I'd guess the keys to her apartment are on their somewhere."

"Why would I want the keys to her apartment?" Gordon asked. 

"So you can stay there." Phil said.

"At Ashley's apartment?" Gordon asked. "Why would I stay there? I was going to stay at a hotel."

"You should stay at her apartment." Phil insisted. "Mr. Bombay, I don't mean to frighten you, but her part of Baltimore is noted for its crime rate."

Forty-five minutes and two taxi rides later, Gordon was at Ashley's apartment. He tried every key on her keyring until the door opened. Upon entering the apartment, her immediately felt a sense of claustrophobia set in. Straight ahead of him was a small living area. To his left was a tiny kitchen, and to his right was a little "hallway." Walking into the hallway, Gordon saw a bedroom on his right, a bathroom on his left, and a laundry room\linen closet straight ahead. This section of Baltimore was definitely low-income, but clearly Ashley was even lower-income than everyone else. Where did Kaley sleep? There was only one bedroom.

Flicking on a light, Gordon walked into the kitchenette. Ashley and Kaley had obviously expected to return from wherever they were going very soon. Papers were everywhere, dirty dishes were piled high in the sink, and the entire place was generally in shambles. Gordon searched through the papers, hoping to fin a picture of Kaley. When he didn't find one, he turned to the fridge. On the freezer door was a picture of a young girl with shoulder-length blond hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a very sharp-looking blue-and-silver hockey jersey with _ROYALS _written on the front. _This has to be Kaley._ Gordon thought. Turning the picture around, he discovered he was right.

_Hockey! She plays hockey! _He thought. The back of the picture listed vital facts. On the top was written _BALTIMORE ROYALS _in silver with _KALEY HELLER #50 _written below it in blue. The rest of it was all stats. Her full name was Kaley Lynne Heller. Her birthday was June 11th, 1981. That Gordon knew. Her position was left or right defense. She had been playing hockey since she was seven, and she had been with the Royals for two seasons. Her favorite team to play was the Annapolis Hornets because "they give us a real challenge." She went to Abraham Lincoln Elementary School and was in fifth grade. She was the same age as the Ducks. Her favorite moment on the team was "when Gary won the state championship for us on the shootout last year."

_So this is my daughter. _Gordon thought. The whole situation still seemed so unreal. He had almost put this part of his past out of his mind and resigned himself to the fact that it was a closed door that could never be reopened. Now it had been opened and was closed behind him. In a very short time, Gordon Bombay would be staring his estranged daughter right in the face. What in the world was he going to tell her?


	3. Chapter Two: Faces of the Past

A NEW LIFE – CHAPTER TWO – FACES OF THE PAST

_Pain._

It was the first thing that Kaley Heller noticed as she woke up. Pain was everywhere-her arms, her legs, her back. Was she at home? No, she couldn't be. This felt nothing like the fold-out couch she slept on. She was lying at a slight angle. As she became more aware of the sounds around her, Kaley heard a faint, steady beeping. _What in the world? _She thought. 

"Kaley?"

A voice, calling her name. The voice was soft, gentle, and female. _Mom? _Kaley thought. It didn't sound like her mother. 

"Kaley, can you hear me?"

_Definitely not Mom. _Kaley thought. _Who is this? Where am I?_

"Kaley, if you can hear me, just open your eyes."

Kaley forced her eyes open. _What the heck…a hospital room? _She thought. _How did I get here? _She was hooked up to monitors and tubes of every kind. A woman with short black hair was standing over her. Swallowing, Kaley forced herself to talk. "Where am I?"

The woman smiled. "You're at Baltimore General Hospital." She said. "I'm Katelyn O'Connor, your day nurse. Do you know how you got here?"

Kaley tried to shake her head, but the pain was too great. "No." She said instead.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Katelyn asked.

"Um…" Kaley racked her brain. "I was in the car with my mom. Going to hockey practice."

"OK." Katelyn said. She looked like she wanted to say something else, but was unsure how to say it.

"So how _did _I get here?" Kaley asked.

"You were in a very bad car accident, Kaley." Katelyn said. "You have a broken ankle, wrist, collarbone and sternum, a sprained wrist, a mild concussion, and multiple scrapes and bruises."

"Ouch." Kaley said. "Is the concussion why everything looks kind of blurry?"

"Yes, that's why." Katelyn said. She looked at her watch. "Oh, goodness, I have some stuff I've gotta take care of. You just stay there and rest, Kaley. I'll be back soon."

_Stay here and rest. Like I can go anywhere. _Kaley thought, looking at the tubes sticking from her. Then she thought of something. "What about my mom?" She asked. But Katelyn was far enough away that she couldn't hear the call. Not like Kaley could yell very loudly anyway. Why had Katelyn run off so quickly like that? It made Kaley suspicious. But she was too tired to think about that now. So she just settled back into her bed and listened to the steady, unending cadence of her heart monitor.

Bzzzzz… 

Gordon jerked awake. What was that? Where was he? After a few moments, he remembered that he was at Ashley's apartment in Baltimore. The buzzing sound was his pager vibrating on the end table. Gordon hadn't felt comfortable sleeping in Ashley's bed, so he'd sacked out on the couch. But the couch didn't give him the world's best sleep, so he decided that no matter how awkward it felt, he was sleeping in the bed tonight.

"Shut up." Gordon muttered to his pager, turning it off. Rubbing his eyes, he looked at the number. It was the hospital. Gordon jumped to the telephone and dialed the number. "Is Kaley awake?" He asked as soon as Gordon answered."

"Yes, Mr. Bombay, Kaley is awake." Phil said. "According to my nurse Katelyn here, she's somewhat groggy but there doesn't seem to be any permanent brain damage. She remembers who she is, how old she is, all the important things."

"Does she know about her mother?" Gordon asked.

"No." Phil said. "According to her nurse, she hasn't asked yet."

"Can I come down to see her?" Gordon asked. "I mean, if that's OK and everything?"

"Yes." Phil said.

"Thank you." Gordon said. "Thanks, I'll be right there."

Gordon was shaking with nerves by the time he reached the hospital. _What will I say? What will I do? _He thought.

When the elevator reached the ICU, Gordon took a deep breath and forced one foot in front of the other and put those thoughts out of his head. He was here. There was no turning back now. "Can I see her?" He asked Phil.

"Yes." Phil said. "But first you have to put on these." He held out a pile of green cloth. 

Gordon studied the fabric. "Scrubs?"

Phil shrugged. "It's the rules."

Gordon quickly threw the scrubs on over his clothes. "What is this, a one-size-fits-all thing?" He asked, looking down at himself. The scrubs were far too big.

"Pretty much." Phil said. "I personally think it's a stupid rule, but it is the rules."

Gordon adjusted the facemask. "I feel like a walking laundry bin." He said.

Phil gave a slight laugh. "This way." He said.

Gordon followed Phil down the hallway, trying not to look in the rooms he passed. But nevertheless, his eyes managed to catch a few things. One small boy was getting dialysis. Another boy was bald-Gordon guessed from chemotherapy-and holding onto a teddy bear and crying. One girl was lying on a bed hooked up to a ventilator. Another boy was covered with burns all over his body. _These poor kids. _Gordon thought, thinking of all the times he could have wound up in the same situation when he was their age.

"Mr. Bombay?" Phil asked. "Here we are."

"Oh, right." Gordon said, coming back to reality. "Sure."

Phil opened the door. "Kaley? Someone's here to see you."

Gordon stepped in. "Hi, Kaley." He said, trying not to let his nerves show.

Kaley turned half-open eyes towards him. "Are you the spirit whose coming was foretold to me?"

Gordon allowed a small smile to flicker across his face. "You could say that." He said. 

Kaley's eyes studied him for a moment. "You look really familiar to me." She said. 

Gordon stiffened. "Really?" He said.

"Yeah." Kaley answered. "Like this guy in a picture my mom showed me once. She said the guy was my father." She looked at him a little more closely. "Nah, it couldn't be you." She said. "Mom always told me my dad was a jerk. You seem way too nice for that."

Gordon wasn't sure how to respond to that. "Well, thank you." He said.

"So you know my mom?" Kaley asked.

"Well, I knew her." Gordon said. "We haven't been in very close contact lately." He was fudging a little, but he didn't want to spill the whole story on Kaley all at once.

"Do you live here?" Kaley asked. "In Baltimore?"

"No, I'm from Minnesota." Gordon responded.

"Minnesota." Kaley repeated. "My mom used to live there."

There was an awkward silence for a few moments. Then Kaley asked the question Gordon had been praying she wouldn't. "So how _is _my mom, anyway?"

Phil and Gordon looked at each other. Phil cleared his throat. "Kaley…" He started.

"What? What is it?" Kaley asked, panic rising in her voice. "Is she OK? What's wrong?"

"Kaley, we tried everything we possibly could to save your mother." Phil said. "But there was simply too much damage. Even if she had survived, she would have been severely retarded."

"So what? At least she'd be here!" Kaley said, tears beginning to fall from her eyes. Gordon fought the urge to reach out and hold her, but he figured that wouldn't be the best thing to do.

"What's gonna happen to me now?" Kaley asked. "Am I going to a foster home?"

"You'll be taken care of by an old friend of your mother's." Phil said."

"Who?" Kaley asked. 

"Me." Gordon said quietly.

Kaley looked at him. "What's your name?"

"Gordon Bombay." Gordon said, trying to keep his voice steady.

Kaley started to gasp, but then grimaced in pain. "Take off your mask." She said.

Gordon looked at Phil, who nodded. Slowly, he lowered the mask.

"It _is _you!" Kaley exclaimed. "You're…you're the guy who left my mom! You…you're…"

"Kaley, calm down." Phil said. "Please let your father-"

"He's _not _my father!" Kaley said. "Get out of here." She said, turning a glare on Gordon.

"Kaley-" Gordon tried.

"OUT! NOW!" Kaley screamed, eliciting a few stares from nurses and patients in neighboring rooms.

Not knowing what else to do, Gordon backed out of the room. Phil followed him. "I'm sorry about that." Phil said.

"It's not your fault." Gordon said. "It's mine."

"No, no, it's not yours either." Phil said reassuringly. "Kaley's heard nothing about you her whole life except for how you left her mother. Now that she's met you, she naturally thinks you're out to get her."

Gordon nodded slightly. "Perfectly understandable." He said. "When should I come back?"

"Why don't you try tomorrow?" Phil said. "Mr. Bombay, please don't be surprised if Kaley is a little hostile toward you. She needs to see proof that you've changed, not just hear you say it."

Gordon nodded, quickly taking off his scrubs. "Thank you." He said.

For hours after Gordon left, Kaley lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling. She couldn't believe it! _This _was the man her mother had chosen to take care of her? From everything Kaley had ever heard, Gordon Bombay was a jerk. A fool. A loser. Her mother had also used various other words to describe him, most of which Kaley could not repeat.

But the man who had just come to see her didn't seem to fit that description. He had seemed kind and concerned for her. But her mother had always told her never to trust first impressions. But then, her mother had never trusted _anyone. _All of her boyfriends left because she was so commitment-phobic. She'd dated one of them all through Kaley's elementary school years, and the guy had eventually left because Ashley wasn't willing to commit to anything more. Kaley had always heard that men were scum and not to be trusted with anything. 

But some part of Kaley had always wondered what was so bad about trusting some man with something. After all, most of her friends had parents who were perfectly happy together. Maybe she could try this Gordon Bombay. See if he was worthy of her trust. If not, what would happen? She'd go to a foster home and wait for someone to adopt her.

_I'll give him a shot. _Kaley thought. _But if I think even for a second he's gonna treat me badly, I'll be outta here faster than you can say "slap shot."_


	4. Chapter Three: Love Takes Time

DISCLAIMER: _Love Takes Time _belongs to Bryan Duncan, not me. Also the line where Gordon thinks _This is my daughter…I'm her father _is also in a fic you can find at Toastburglar's site. Didn't know that till after I wrote this chapter, but I had to write that anyway so I won't go to jail for plagiarism. The last part of the flashback kind of resembles that fic, too, but it's not a direct quote.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Sorry it's been so long since an update. Login's been disabled and the site's been fairly unreliable. I must add that I know nothing about the laws of Maryland and Minnesota, so I'm making them up.

A NEW LIFE – CHAPTER THREE – LOVE TAKES TIME

The next few days were a flurry of activity for Gordon. He called nearly every number in Ashley's Rolodex, informing everyone of what had happened. Some broke down in tears. Others just thanked him numbly. Others hadn't spoken to Ashley in years and barely remembered her. Still others hadn't been home and Gordon had left messages on their answering machines.

Having called everyone in Ashley's Rolodex (except for Baltimore House of Pizza and Soo-Yung's Chinese Takeout), Gordon launched a search all over the apartment for other numbers. He started with Ashley's bedroom drawer. After rooting around in there for a few moments, he found an old snapshot. His throat immediately tightened when he saw it. The picture was of Ashley in a hospital bed with Gordon standing next to her. In between them was a tiny bundle wrapped in pink blankets.

Gordon pulled his car into the hospital's parking lot. He had just been informed that Ashley had delivered her baby. Gordon walked into the hospital with an intense feeling of dread. Ashley's strict Catholic parents had harassed him endlessly about this for the past eight months. According to Ashley, they didn't even want Gordon to see the baby.

_When he entered the maternity ward, Gordon immediately saw John and Marie Heller standing outside Ashley's hospital room like sentinels. "Can…can I see Ashley?" He asked._

_John turned a glare on him. "Why?"_

_"Because she told me I could see her." Gordon said. "Please, I'd like to see my baby?"_

_John looked ready to say something else, but Ashley's voice interrupted them. "Daddy?" She asked. "Let Gordon come in."_

_John gave Gordon a loathing look, but stepped aside and allowed him into the room. Tentatively, Gordon stepped inside and looked at Ashley. "Hello, Gordon." She said._

_"Hi, Ashley." Gordon said quietly. He wanted to stay back in the doorway, but his body seemed to gravitate towards that tiny pink bundle Ashley held cradled in her arms._

_"Would you like to hold her?" Ashley asked._

_"Well, I, uh-" Gordon started to protest, but before he could get any further, Ashley placed the baby in his arms. Gordon had never been a baby person. In fact, he'd always stayed away from them. Holding crying little infants had never appealed to him. But now, as he looked at the tiny little girl in his arms, he didn't feel awkward at all. _This is my daughter. _He thought. _I'm her father! _"She's beautiful." He said. "What's her name?"_

_"Kaley Lynne." Ashley announced. There was no mistaking the pride in her voice._

_"Kaley Lynne." Gordon repeated the name to himself. "She's beautiful."_

_"Leave." Came a cold voice from the doorway. Gordon looked up and saw Marie standing in the doorway. "Out. Now."_

_"Mom?" Ashley reached onto her nightstand and grabbed a camera. "Please?"_

_"Why-" Gordon started. _

_"So Kaley can know that she at least had a father once." Ashley said._

_Marie looked displeased, but snapped the picture anyway. "Now get out of here." She said. "And I don't ever want to see you around my daughter again!"_

_Gordon looked down at Kaley. He didn't want to give her up. This was the daughter he hadn't wanted, and now he didn't want to leave her with Ashley. He wanted to stay with her forever._

_"I'm not going to ask you again!" Marie roared._

_Gordon hesitantly gave Kaley back to Ashley. "Good-bye." He whispered, leaving the room as quickly as he could. He would never see Kaley again. Never. He'd never see her first step or hear her first word. He'd never hear her call him "Daddy." He'd never meet her when she came home after school or see her watercolor paintings on the refrigerator door. He'd never teach her to drive, or give her date the Spanish Inquisition before he took her to the prom, or walk her down the aisle on her wedding day._

_When he reached the parking lot, Gordon felt something wet hit his cheek. He stopped for a moment and brought his hand to his face. Was he crying? He hadn't cried since his father's funeral. Wiping his eyes, Gordon made a blind dash for his car. Somehow, he managed to wait until he was inside before the tears began to flow freely and he sobbed._

Gordon closed his eyes and put the picture back in the drawer. He couldn't imagine what it would be like when he had to relive all this and tell the Ducks when he got back to Minnesota.

Which brought up a whole new issue: bringing Kaley to Minnesota. Gordon sure as heck wasn't going to stay _here, _in the slums of Baltimore. If the Waves accepted him, leaving wouldn't be an option. But even if the Waves rejected him, Gordon wanted out of Baltimore. Kaley deserved better than two-room apartment where she had to sleep on a fold-out couch.

But even with all the advantages, Gordon was sure Kaley wouldn't want to leave. Slums or no slums, Baltimore was her home. Gordon felt slightly guilty for even entertaining the thought of taking her to Minnesota. The girl had just lost her mother and had her life turned upside down. Gordon was sure the last thing Kaley wanted was to be dragged halfway across the country.

Would Gordon even be _allowed _to take her to Minnesota? He was Kaley's biological father, but as far as the law was concerned he was only her legal guardian. In Minnesota a legal guardian had the same rights as a parent, but Gordon didn't know about Maryland. If Kaley agreed, he could adopt her. But he was pretty sure she wouldn't agree to that. After all, she'd thrown him out of her hospital room the first time he'd gone to see her. He'd gone back twice since then, but both time's she'd been asleep.

Sighing, Gordon sat down on the couch and flicked on the tiny radio on the end table.

"Love takes time/Please be kind/See every part of me/Cause I wanna be loved/Love ain't blind/Ties that bind/Take all eternity."

Gordon slapped the radio off. "Darn right, buddy." He muttered. "Darn right."

"Kaley?"

Kaley looked up. Katelyn was standing in her doorway. "Hi." Kaley said.

"Bored?" Katelyn asked.

"You have _no _idea." Kaley said. "I just spent the past hour watching the fluid drain out of my IV bag. Before that, I was trying to figure out what this thingy is." She wiggled her right index finger, which had a small lighted gizmo clamped on it.

Katelyn laughed. "That's a little light that shines through your finger so we can monitor the oxygen in your blood."

"Great." Kaley said. "Oh, and before that I discovered that my heart beats seventy times a minute."

Katelyn chuckled. "I've got someone here who'd like to see you." She said, stepping aside as Gordon Bombay entered the room.

Kaley gave as big a sigh as she could-her chest and collarbone still wouldn't allow for very deep breathing-and turned her head away. "What do you want?"

"I want to talk to you." Gordon said simply.

"Well, _I _don't want to talk to _you." _Kaley said.

"Look, Kaley, our last visit didn't go too well." Gordon said. "I'm sorry. Will you please listen to what I have to say?"

Kaley slowly turned her head to look at him. "All right." She conceded. 

Gordon looked at Katelyn. "Can you give us a few minutes?" He asked. Katelyn nodded and ducked out of the room. 

"You probably have a million questions for me." Gordon said, turning back to Kaley.

"You bet I do." Kaley said. "Why'd you ditch my mom?"

"Kaley, your mom ditched me." Gordon answered calmly.

"So _would _you have ditched her?" Kaley asked.

Gordon took a deep breath. "Well…eventually, yes, I probably would have."

"Because you're scum?" Kaley said before she could think. If her injuries had allowed it, she would have clamped her hand over her mouth. "Oh, no. I'm-"

"No, don't apologize, Kaley." Gordon said. "You're right. I was scum. Your mother was right to leave me."

Kaley narrowed her eyes. Was he just trying to win her over or was he really being honest with her? "Really." She said.

"Really." Gordon continued. "I was mean and self-centered, and…well…"

"Scum?" Kaley asked, her eyebrows raised to let him know she was joking.

Gordon let out a small laugh. "Scum." He repeated. "Your mom made a good choice leaving me. I would have been a terrible father to you and an even worse husband for your mother."

Kaley wasn't used to people being this open with her, and it was making her a little uncomfortable. "So if you would've been so bad to us, why did Mom make you my legal guardian? And why did she take that picture of all of us when I was born?"

"Your mom didn't have a choice in the legal guardianship area, Kaley." Gordon said. "Since she had no family and never arranged another one for you, I'm it. I'm listed as your father on your birth certificate."

Kaley nodded. "And the picture?"

Gordon sighed. "So you could know that you had a family once." He said. "Your mom wanted you to know that you had a father. Even though he was-"

"Scum." They both finished.

"So if you're such scum, why should I trust you to take care of me?" Kaley asked. "You don't seem like scum. In fact, you seem pretty nice. But Mom always told me not to trust first impressions."

Gordon took a deep breath and sighed it out, as if thinking about what he was going to say next. "I'm sure this will be very hard for you, since you've heard what a jerk I am your whole life. Kaley, I've changed. I've realized that I'm not the most important person in this world. I know you won't take my word for it; I'm gonna have to show you. So what do you say?"

Just then the lunch cart showed up at the door. "Lunch is served." Katelyn said, sticking her head in the door.

Kaley turned to Gordon. "Do you wanna stay for lunch?"

Gordon looked surprised. "Well…uh…what're you having?"

An hour later, Gordon walked back into Ashley's apartment. As he closed the door, he felt his pager vibrate. Groaning, Gordon unclipped the pager. _When I get back home I'm gonna buy a cell phone. _He thought. The number on the pager was unfamiliar, but the area code and first three digits were Minneapolis. Gordon went to the phone and dialed the number. After three rings, a gruff voice answered, "Hello, Warner Davis."

"My name's Gordon Bombay." Gordon said. "Your number-"

"Bombay!" The voice said. "Finally! I thought you'd dropped off the face of the planet."

"Huh?" Gordon asked. "I'm sorry, who _are _you?"

"Bombay, it's me. Warner Davis. Owner of the Minnesota Waves." The voice said.

"Oh, right!" Bombay said. _Man, I guess they _weren't _kidding about this guy's people skills. _"Sorry. Why are you calling?"

"First off, where in the world have you _been?" _Davis asked. "I've been searching _everywhere _for you! Called your apartment about a thousand times. Nobody's seen you for a week. Where _are _you?"

"Baltimore." Gordon answered.

"Baltimore? Maryland?" Davis asked.

_Do you know of another Baltimore? _Gordon thought. But he answered with "Yes."

"And _what _are you doing in Baltimore?" Davis questioned.

"It's a long story." Gordon said. "Let's just say I had a family emergency. Now why are you calling me?"

"Why do you think?" Davis exclaimed. "Welcome to the Minnesota Waves, Bombay!"

Gordon's jaw dropped. "Huh?"

"You deaf, Bombay?" Davis roared. "I said _welcome to the Minnesota Waves." _

"You mean…I made the team?" Gordon asked.

"Dang right!" Davis cackled. "So when you gonna be back from Baltimore?"

"Not for a long time." Gordon said. Seeing there was no other way, he told Davis the story. "So I probably won't be back for the rest of the summer."

_"The rest of the summer?!" _Davis bellowed. "Look, Bombay, if you don't get your butt back here in six weeks, you're off the team!"

Gordon felt a stab in his stomach. "What?" He said. "There's no way I can do that! Kaley's gonna be in the hospital for six weeks!"

"Not my problem, Bombay." Davis said. "Six weeks or you're off the team." With that he hung up the phone.

Gordon placed the receiver in its cradle and leaned against the wall. _Great, just great. _He thought. _I've got a daughter to raise, a bunch of medical bills to pay off, and my only source of income is about to go out the window._

As her time in ICU passed, Kaley slowly found herself warming up to Gordon. He came by nearly every day and stayed as long as Katelyn would let him. Kaley had heard all about Gordon's change from sleazy lawyer to peewee hockey coach. She also knew all about the team he'd coached, the Ducks. She now knew everyone from jokester Averman to tomboy Connie to captain Charlie.

Kaley had spent most of her time bored. She couldn't move, so drawing, writing, and reading were pretty much off-limits. There was no TV in her room, either. Her teammates and friends weren't allowed to come and see her because they weren't immediate family. So her only company had been Gordon, Dr. Dantzscher, Katelyn, and her night nurse Crystal.

But that was about to change. Kaley was about to be moved from ICU to the pediatric ward. She'd have to stay in the pediatric room for a month, until her wrist healed so she could use crutches. Dr. Dantzscher had told her to stay perfectly still until her sternum healed. The night she had come in the doctors had set her collarbone, and it was well on its way to being healed. But they couldn't do anything about her breastbone. Staying still wouldn't be hard, since every time Kaley moved, her chest and neck protested. She didn't want to stay in the hospital anymore, but the pediatric floor would sure beat Intensive Care. Her friends could come and visit her, there would be a TV in her room, and the food couldn't be any worse.

"You ready, Kaley?" Dr. Dantzscher stood in the doorway with four nurses.

"Sure am." Kaley said.

"All right, ladies, let's get her in the wheelchair." Dr. Dantzscher said. The nurses disconnected Kaley from all her tubes and monitors and gently lowered her into a wheelchair. Kaley grimaced as her injuries asserted themselves.

"Easy, easy…" One of the nurses said, easing Kaley into the chair. "There we go. You're ready."

"Thanks." Kaley said.

Dr. Dantzscher took the wheelchair. "Say goodbye to ICU, Kaley." He said.

If she could, Kaley would have waved. "Goodbye, ICU." She said. "Gosh, I feel like a queen with all you guys following me." Dr. Dantzscher was pushing her wheelchair, and the four nurses were following him so they could put Kaley in her new bed in the pediatric room. 

Dr. Dantzscher laughed as he pushed Kaley into the elevator and punched the buttons for the pediatric floor. "Just remember, you need to stay as still as possible-"

"Until my clavicle and sternum heal, yeah." Kaley said. "How long should that take?"

"A minimum of four weeks." Dr. Dantzscher said. "If you stay still, that is."

"Great." Kaley sighed as the elevator stopped and Dr. Dantzscher wheeled her out.

"Cheer up." Dr. Dantzscher said, pushing her into Room 223. "There's a lot more excitement here than there was in the ICU."

"How could there be _less?" _Kaley pointed out.

"OK, Kaley, stay still." One of the nurses instructed. "We're gonna lift you onto the bed now." She looked at the rest of the nurses. "Ready, girls?"

"Ready." The other three nurses chorused.

They lifted Kaley onto the bed quickly and gently. "All right, let's get a nurse in here to have your IV hooked up." Dr. Dantzscher said.

"Thanks." Kaley said.

"You're welcome." Dr. Dantzscher said. "Remember, keep as still as you possibly can."

"I will." Kaley said as Dr. Dantzscher left. With her good hand, she reached for the remote control and turned on the TV. Maybe there'd be a hockey game on.

"No, no, Jameson, you don't understand." Gordon said into the telephone. "You can't just kick me off the team! This is completely beyond my control!"

"Bombay, these are the rules." Paul Jameson, the coach of the Minnesota Waves said. "I'm sorry."

"Look, Jameson, I've got a kid to take care of." Gordon said. "I need to stay with the team!"

"Gordon, I-" Jameson began.

"If nothing else, do it for Kaley." Gordon interrupted. "Please. She needs it way more than me."

"Didn't this Aislynn have insurance?" Jameson asked.

"Ashley." Gordon corrected. "Yes, she did. That will cover the hospital visit, but not the therapy she'll need afterwards. Jameson, I really need your help here."

"Look, Gordon, I feel for you here-" Jameson started.

"Feeling for me won't help, Jameson." Gordon said. "Please, talk to Davis and see if he'll make an exception."

"All right." Jameson conceded after a pause. "But no promises are expressed or implied, Bombay. Davis doesn't change his mind easily."

"Thanks for trying." Gordon said.

"Hope everything works out" Jameson said, hanging up the phone.

Gordon replaced the receiver, still feeling somewhat defeated. At least he had convinced Jameson to talk to the gruff, hard-nosed Davis. Now if Davis would only let Gordon stay on the team.


	5. Chapter Four: Returning Home

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Finally an update! So sorry it's taken forever! I was gone for two weeks and I understand that while I was gone, the site was down, too. And since I've been back, I've been in gymnastics seven hours a day. So there's not a whole lot of time to write. I'm also working on a series for Phoenix Virtual Television that's taking up some time. I'm a very busy girl right now. But I still have the afternoons and weekends, so I'm using those to write. I know _nada _about the law regarding legal guardianship in either Maryland or Minnesota, so I'm making it up. Whether or not it's real, it makes a good story. I hope the wait for chapter five won't be quite as long.

A NEW LIFE – CHAPTER FOUR – RETURNING HOME

The weeks in the hospital passed quickly for Kaley. She had a steady stream of visitors. Gordon came by every night. Nurses were constantly coming in and checking Kaley's vitals. Every few days she had her leg, chest, and wrist x-rayed. Dr. Dantzscher assured her that soon she'd be able to go home.

_Home. _Kaley thought. _It sounds so nice. _But home also held a fair amount of anxiety. Kaley would have to live with Gordon twenty-four hours a day in her tiny apartment. There would be _no _privacy. Growing up in that small apartment, Kaley was used to a lack of privacy. But now she'd be sharing that apartment with a man. It was a bit unnerving.

"Kaley?" It was Kaley's nurse, Leah. "Time to go for x-rays."

"Ooh, what fun." Kaley said, trying to get out of her bed."

"Easy now." Leah cautioned. "We don't want to break anything.

"I know, I know." Kaley said. She had decided that it was everyone's personal mission in life to make sure that she didn't have any fun while she was here. Every time she turned around it was: "Don't move too much." "Stay still." Or her favorite: "Do you want to hurt yourself again?"

"If these x-rays come out well, you can go home." Leah said as Kaley sat down in the wheelchair.

"Define 'come out well.'" Kaley said.

"If your collarbone, breastbone, and wrist have healed." Leah said. "If they have, Dr. Dantzscher will probably give you crutches and you can go home in a couple of days."

"What about this?" Kaley pointed to her leg.

"That'll come off in about two more weeks." Leah said. "Then you'll have physical therapy for about a month. Then you'll be good as new."

"Can't wait." Kaley said. "I'm so sick of being covered with plaster."

Leah laughed slightly. "Here we are." She said, wheeling Kaley into the x-ray room. Leah helped Kaley onto the table and said, "I'll be right outside."

"I want you to stay perfectly still." The x-ray technician, a blond woman with pinched, bird-beakish features said.

_Stay perfectly still. _Kaley thought. _Man, how I'd love to hear someone tell me to move. _"OK." She said to the technician. "I'm ready."

The technician started the x-ray. When she was finished, Kaley got back into the wheelchair and Leah wheeled her back into the waiting room. After a few minutes Dr. Dantzscher summoned Kaley into another room.

"Gosh, I'm so sick of being wheeled around everywhere." Kaley said as Leah pushed her down the hall and into a room where Dr. Dantzscher and Gordon sat waiting for her. "Hi, Kaley." Gordon said. "How you doing?"

"Fine." Kaley responded.

"Mr. Bombay, Kaley." Dr. Dantzscher began. "Here are Kaley's x-rays from today." He put four x-rays on a lighted panel on the wall. "Congratulations, Kaley. You're making excellent improvement. As you can see here, your wrist has completely healed." He tapped the first x-ray, which showed Kaley's wrist being perfectly intact. "I'd say we can remove that cast right away. And everything else…" He motioned to the next two x-rays, "is looking good as well. The collarbone is like new. You'll notice the gap in your breastbone has almost completely closed up. And this," Dr. Dantzscher pointed to the last x-ray, "is your leg."

"It looks better." Kaley said.

"It is." Dr. Dantzscher confirmed. "I'd say come back here in another two weeks and it'll be perfectly healed.

"OK." Kaley said. "Wait. Come _back _here in two weeks. That means…"

"Yes." Dr. Dantzscher said. "Leah, get this girl down to cast removal right away. Kaley, we'll take the cast off and you'll be discharged in two days."

"All _right!" _Kaley couldn't contain her excitement. "Thank you, Dr. Dantzscher!"

Leah laughed and took hold of Kaley's wheelchair. "Come on, darling." She said. "Let's get that cast off."

The place where all the casts were removed wasn't far from the room where Kaley and Gordon were talking to Dr. Dantzscher. 

"Kaley?" A young man with dark blond hair said, peeking out of a cubicle. 

"Right here." Kaley waved her good arm.

"I was told you were coming." The man said. "I'm Dave, I'll be taking your cast off. You and your dad can come on in."

Leah wheeled Kaley in and helped her onto the bed. "I'll be outside." She said.

"So what exactly does removing a cast involve?" Kaley asked, suddenly nervous.

"Well, we just rev up this circular saw here," David said, holding up a sharp, round blade, "and cut through the cast."

"You're gonna cut off my cast with _that?!" _Kaley exclaimed. "No way!"

"Don't worry." Dave said. "I haven't lost a patient yet. Now which cast is coming off?"

"The wrist." Kaley said.

"Don't be too scared." Dave said. "You'll feel the heat, but I promise not to cut your arm off." He plugged the saw in. "Ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Kaley said. Gordon took her hand and held it tightly.

Dave started the saw. Kaley heard it biting into her cast, and then felt searing heat on her skin. "It's too close!" She screamed.

"It's just the heat from the friction!" Dave assured her.

Kaley squeezed her eyes shut and turned away. "I can't look." She whimpered.

Suddenly the terrible noise ceased. "There." Dave said. "All done."

Kaley opened her eyes. "All done?"

Dave held up her cast to confirm it. _"Finita." _

Kaley looked at her arm. "It's hard to move." She said.

"It will be for awhile." Dave said. "You haven't used those muscles for six weeks, remember. Use this." He handed her a stress ball. "Squeeze it every now and then. It'll make the muscles stronger."

"Thanks." Kaley lowered herself off the bed. "Leah!" She called.

"Right here." Leah wheeled the chair in. "How does it feel to have that cast off?"

"Good." Kaley said, trying to squeeze the stress ball. "It's hard to move the arm, though."

"Don't worry about that." Leah said. "Squeeze that ball."

Kaley kept squeezing the ball all the way back to her room. When she got back to the room, Gordon said, "Kaley, I have to run, OK? I'll be back in two days to take you home.

"OK." Kaley said. "And when you come back, could you bring me some clothes to change into? Anything would be fine."

"You got it." Gordon said. "See you soon, Kaley."

Gordon signed his name to the last of the papers. _Finally. _He thought, putting the pen down. "Kaley! You ready to go?" He called, sticking his head in Kaley's room.  

Leah pushed Kaley's wheelchair out of the room. "I was born ready." She said.

Gordon laughed. "Good. Let's go."

Leah wheeled Kaley down to the main entrance, where Gordon's little rental car was parked. "That's your car?" Kaley asked.

"For now." Gordon said. "I figured since I'll be running you all over creation, it'd be cheaper to rent a car than pay a cabby."

"True." Kaley got out of the wheelchair and used her crutches to hobble to the car.

"You've been a pleasure, Kaley." Leah said. "Remember, you need to come back here for physical therapy and x-rays on Tuesday at two PM."

"I won't forget." Kaley said. "Thanks, Leah. You've been a big help."

Gordon shook Leah's hand. "Thanks for taking such good care of her."

"She's a joy." Leah said. "Take care of your arm, Kaley."

"I will." Kaley said. "Bye!"

Kaley waited nervously while Gordon unlocked her apartment. If she could have hopped from one foot to the other, she would have. 

"There." Gordon opened the apartment door. Kaley eagerly hobbled inside, but then stopped dead. Nothing had changed. Everything looked the same as the day she and her mother had been in it last.

"Kaley?" Gordon asked. "Are you all right?"

"Nothing's changed." Kaley said. "It all looks the same." She stopped for a moment. "Hockey practice." She said.

"What?" Gordon asked.

"Mom was taking me to hockey practice." Kaley clarified. "I wasn't feeling very good, but we had a game soon. Coach Evans always told us to never miss practice before a game. What if I'd told Mom? What if I'd told her I wasn't feeling good? I could've skipped practice and everything would still be OK!"

"Kaley, don't think about that." Gordon said gently.

"I can't help it!" Kaley cried. "If I'd just said 'I don't feel good, I'm not going to practice today' the accident never would have happened!" The tears Kaley had held back for a month and a half were finally freed, flowing like rivers down her face.

"Kaley." Gordon knelt down next to her. "Listen to me. It's better not to think about those things. You can't change the past. Thinking about those 'what ifs' will cause you nothing but pain."

"Easy for you to say." Kaley managed. "You have no idea how this feels!"

Gordon paused for a moment. "Yes, I do." He said quietly.

Kaley looked up in surprise. "Y-you do?"

Gordon nodded slowly. "When I was ten, my dad died of a heart attack. It was very sudden; nobody expected it. Dad drove me to hockey practice that day. I told him I'd see him when practice was over."

"But you didn't." Kaley said.

Gordon shook his head. "No. I didn't."

Ten-year-old Gordon Bombay slung his gear bag over his shoulder and darted out of the hockey rink. He was surprised to find his mother, Janet, standing on the curb waiting for him. "Hi, Mom!" He said. "Where's Dad?"

_"Gordon, honey…" Janet's eyes began to water. "Let's talk in the car."_

_"Is he OK?" Gordon asked, panic rising in him. "Mom? Is Dad OK?"_

_Janet got into the car, and Gordon followed. "Mom? Say something!"_

_Janet closed the door and turned to her son. "Gordon, while you were at practice…I'm so sorry, baby…"_

_"Mom, what?!" Gordon was now in a full-blown panic._

_"Dad had a heart attack, honey." Janet said._

_"Is he OK?" Gordon managed, although he already knew the answer._

_Janet shook her head. "He died, honey." She croaked out._

_"What…no!" Gordon cried, shaking his head. "No, that's impossible!"_

_"I am so, so sorry, Gordon." Janet reached over and lovingly took Gordon in her arms._

_"I just saw him." Gordon sobbed. "This isn't possible. I just saw him two hours ago. He was fine."_

_"I know, baby, I know." Janet said, stroking Gordon's hair. "I know."_

"That's awful." Kaley said, sniffling. "That's exactly how I feel. One second I was a normal kid headed to hockey practice, and then in the next second Mom was dead, I was in the hospital and you showed up. You know what I mean?"

"Sure do." Gordon said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I never really lost a family member before." Kaley said, wiping her eyes. "Well, except for my Grandma Ferrell. She died when I was three."

"Grandma Ferrell?" Gordon asked.

"My mom's grandmother." Kaley clarified. "She was the reason we moved to Baltimore. My mom's parents kind of kicked us out when I was born, and Mom needed some help with me. So we came to Baltimore."

Gordon leaned over and placed his arm around Kaley's shoulders. Kaley turned and leaned on his chest. "I miss her." She said, the tears beginning to come again.

Gordon pulled his other arm around Kaley. "I know." He said. "Oh, believe me, I know."

"I think she's been through enough lately!" 

Kaley woke up slowly. Who was that? Gordon?

"No! I am _not _bringing her halfway across the country…Because she barely knows me, that's why!"

Kaley sat up. She was in her mother's bedroom. She must have fallen asleep and Gordon had placed her in there. Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was six-thirty PM. No wonder she was hungry.

"Look, Davis, we can argue until all eternity, but I am _not _changing my mind!" Gordon railed. He must have been on the phone with someone. Either that or he had gone completely crazy.

"Gordon?" Kaley yawned, padding out of the room.

"No, _you _listen to _me!" _Gordon was saying into the phone. "Kaley has been through enough for the past six weeks. Even if she didn't still have a broken leg, there's no way I'd move her to Minnesota now. She doesn't need any more change."

_Bring me to Minnesota? _Kaley thought. _Whoa, what's going on here? _"Gordon?" She asked, louder this time.

Gordon whirled to face her. For a moment, he just stared at her open-mouthed, then said, "Davis? I gotta go, OK…yeah." He hung up the phone. 

"What was that all about?" Kaley asked. "Are you planning to move me to Minnesota or something? Cause if you are-"

"Look, Kaley-" Gordon started.

"You go through all that about how I don't need any more change right now and you're taking me to Minnesota?" Kaley continued.

"Kaley, please let me explain." Gordon said patiently.

"Fine." Kaley crossed her arms. "Explain away."

"Right before I was notified about you and your mom, I was in a tryout for minor league hockey." Gordon explained. "That was the owner of the Minnesota Waves, the team I was accepted to. We have a little…issue…going on."

"What kind of issue?" Kaley asked.

"The coach wanted me back in six weeks or I was off the team." Gordon continued. "I got the owner, Davis, to make an exception since there was no way I could be back in six weeks and the situation was totally beyond my control. But now Davis wants me back in a month."

"So go." Kaley said. "I'll be OK in a month-"

"No, Kaley, no." Gordon said. "It's a lot more complicated than that. I'm not sure if I'm even allowed to take you to Minnesota."

"Why wouldn't you be?" Kaley asked. "I mean, you're my dad and all."

"Biologically, yes." Gordon said. "But the law doesn't care about that. Legally, I'm just your legal guardian. In Minnesota, a legal guardian has the same rights as a parent. But I don't know about Maryland."

"So what's gonna happen?" Kaley asked.

"Kaley, let's not worry about that now." Gordon said. "OK? I've still got Jameson trying to keep me on the team. And I can't take you anywhere with that cast on your leg."

Kaley made a face. "Don't remind me."

Gordon laughed slightly. "I'll bet you're hungry."

"I am." Kaley admitted. "But…I wouldn't trust anything in the fridge by now. Or have you been restocking it?"

"Just cold cuts." Gordon said. "What do you say to…pizza?"

"I _always _say yes to pizza!" Kaley said, swinging herself over to the door on her crutches.

Two weeks later, Kaley's cast had been removed and she was receiving physical therapy. Since the session was so long, Gordon figured he'd have time to go back to the apartment and do a little research. Actually, he needed to call someone who would do research for him.

Once inside the apartment, Gordon picked up the telephone and dialed a number. After one ring, a voice answered with "Good afternoon, Law Office of O'Brien, Larissa Cates speaking."

"Hi, I'd like to speak with Stella O'Brien." Gordon said.

"One moment." Larissa said. A minute later, a voice came on with "This is Stella."

"Hey, Stella, it's Gordon Bombay." Gordon said.

"Gordon!" Came the rather roughneck Boston accent that Gordon had never thought fit the delicate attorney. "To what do I owe this call from way out west?"

Gordon had to smile. He'd told Stella many times that Minnesota wasn't "way out west." But when you lived in Boston, Gordon thought, New York City probably seemed like "way out west." "Well, actually, I'm calling from Baltimore." He said.

"You moved to Baltimore?" Stella asked.

"Well, yes and no." Gordon said. "It's a very long story, Stella. Do you remember Ashley Heller?"

"Yeah, from college." Stella said. "What about her?"

"Remember how she got pregnant and had to drop out?" Gordon asked.

_"Remember?" _Stella said. "It was the hot topic for months. None of us ever heard from her again, but she was a legend around the sorority house."

"Yeah." Gordon said. "Stella, I was the guy who got Ashley pregnant. When the baby, Kaley, was born, they relocated to Baltimore because Ashley's family basically disowned her."

"Yeah, they were real strict Catholics." Stella said. "So, where's all this going?"

"Ashley and Kaley were in a car crash two months ago." Gordon said. "When that happened, I became Kaley's legal guardian because she had no other family."

"And her mother never planned for something like this?" Stella asked.

Gordon looked around the apartment. "From what I've seen, it was all she could do to keep herself and Kaley from living on the streets."

"OK." Stella said. "So what do you need my help on?"

"Find out if Maryland state law will allow a legal guardian to take a child out of state." Gordon said.

"Got it." Stella said. "What's the number?"

"Number?" Gordon asked.

"Phone number." Stella clarified. "You know, so I can reach you?"

"Oh!" Gordon said. "Right." He had known Stella long enough to know that the woman never spoke in complete sentences. "It's 321-555-6760."

"321-555-6760." Stella repeated, writing the number down. "OK. I'll call you as soon as I have info."

"Thanks." Gordon said. "Talk to you later, Stella."

"Bye, Gordon."

Two days later, Gordon and Kaley were eating lunch when the phone rang. "I'll get it." Gordon said, silently hoping it was Stella. "Hello?"

"Gordon, good news." It was Stella. "Yes, Maryland state law _will _allow you to take a child out of state."

"Great!" Gordon said. "Great, awesome!"

"Glad to be of service." Stella laughed. "Talk to you later, Gordo."

"Thanks again, Stella." Gordon hung up the phone.

Kaley looked up from her sandwich. "What's going on?"

"I'm allowed to take you to Minnesota." Gordon said with a smile.

Kaley looked crestfallen. "So we _are _leaving."

Gordon's grin faded. "Oh, Kaley, I'm sorry, hon." He said. "I didn't think-"

"No, it's OK." Kaley cut him off. "Really. I've kind of been expecting it."

Gordon nodded. But something in Kaley's voice told him it _wasn't _OK.


	6. Chapter Five: A New Home

AUTHOR'S NOTES: A thousand apologies for the long wait. I know it's tough to wait for a chapter to be uploaded (_aherm _Saturniia! Add chapter 8 to _Ice Castles!_). Driver's Ed is over but school is here, so I'm writing whenever I can. I'm still not entirely sure where the story will head from here, though.

A NEW LIFE – CHAPTER FIVE – A NEW HOME

"You're _leaving?" _Aubrey Williams wailed over the phone. "You can't _leave, _Kaley!"

Kaley sighed. "I don't have a choice, Aubrey." She said to her best friend. "Gordon's got a job out there, and it's legal for him to take me."

"But the Royals won't be the same without you!" Aubrey argued. "You won't be playing hockey anymore."

"Gordon told me Minnesota's like, Hockeytown USA." Kaley said. "I'm sure there's a team there I can join."

"So you're just following him to Minnetonka?" Aubrey asked incredulously.

"Minne_sota, _Aubrey." Kaley corrected. "And he's got a job out there."

"Doing what?" Aubrey challenged. 

"Playing minor league hockey." Kaley answered.

"Kay, aren't you just a _little _suspicious about this?" Aubrey asked. "I mean, the guy shows up out of the blue and says he's your father? He could be an axe murderer for all you know!"

"You've been watching too many spy movies, Aubrey." Kaley said tiredly. "He's listed as the father on my birth certificate. His driver's license goes with everything that's listed on the birth certificate. He's the same age as my mom, went to the same college, lives in the same state. And he's the guy in the picture my mom has."

"So?" Aubrey continued. "He could be your father's evil twin brother! He could take you all the way to Taiwan and I'll never see you again!"

"Aubrey, stop it." Kaley said. "He's not my father's evil twin brother, he's not an axe murderer, he's not a crook. He's my legal guardian. I have to go with him."

"So go to a foster home." Aubrey said. "Just…geez, Kaley, I want you to stay here!"

"I know, I know." Kaley said, trying to keep her voice steady. "I don't want to leave either. But I'll be here for another month-"

"Kaley!" Kaley jerked her head up and saw Gordon making a slashing motion across his throat. "Get off the phone!"

Kaley nodded. "OK, Aubrey, I have to go." She said. "I'll call you later, OK? Bye." She quickly hung up the phone and turned to Gordon. "Sorry." She apologized. "Aubrey can really talk."

"Yeah, I noticed that." Gordon said, picking up the phone and dialing a number. As he did so, Kaley wandered into her mother's bedroom and closed the door. She began sorting through what to bring to Minnesota, what to give to Goodwill, and what to throw away. Ashley's bedroom set would be dismantled and sent to Minnesota so Kaley could use it. Sitting down on the floor, Kaley debated whether or not to bring any of her mother's clothes with her in case she ever grew into them. Ashley hadn't been much over five feet tall, but Kaley was well under it. Opening a drawer, she pulled out the blue and white sweater Grandma Heller had knitted when Kaley was three. Kaley folded it up and placed it in a cardboard box by the bed labeled TAKE TO MINNESOTA. 

On top of the dresser was Ashley's jewelry case. There wasn't much in it, but Kaley decided to take it anyway. Grandma Heller's bridal set was in there. Ashley had always said Kaley could have that when she was older. _Well, I guess I'm older. _Kaley thought. The box also contained the necklace Ashley had gotten for her high school graduation. Kaley placed the silver box on top of the sweater.

Then there was Ashley's senior picture. The back of the frame read _Ashley Marie Heller-October 14, 1979. _Kaley put that on top of the sweater. 

After about ten minutes, Kaley had packed nearly everything in the room. The box labeled TAKE TO MINNESOTA was full, but the one labeled GIVE TO GOODWILL was completely empty. _Well, I can't take all of this. _Kaley thought and began re-sorting through the box.

The four weeks Kaley had left in Baltimore passed quickly. She had managed to sort some things into the box for Goodwill, but not much. She'd never considered herself a sentimentalist, but now she found it extra-hard to get rid of anything. The little teddy bear she'd gotten for her fifth birthday, which had sat in Ashley's closet for the past four years, was now a precious possession. Gordon had managed to convince her to give it to Aubrey, since it was really no good anymore. Kaley figured Aubrey's brother Travis might have fun with it. The Royals had given Kaley a going-away party, which had been fun. They'd given her an eleven-by-fourteen framed photo of the team. Kaley placed it in her suitcase and fervently hoped it would survive the trip to Minneapolis

As Kaley settled onto the fold-out couch for her final night in Baltimore, it suddenly hit her that she was leaving the only home she'd ever known. She'd never left Maryland, and she'd only left Baltimore occasionally to play against teams from other towns. And she had no idea what Minnesota would be like, either. Baltimore had stifling summers and temperate winters. Kaley knew Minneapolis had cold winters, but what about summer? Well, she'd find out tomorrow.

Kaley rolled onto her back and sighed. _Well, I'll miss a whole lot of things, but I sure _won't _miss this blasted bed._

At five-thirty AM, Gordon's watch beeped. _Why couldn't I have gotten a later flight? _He thought, hitting the "off" button. With Ashley's bedroom set on its way to Minneapolis, Gordon had slept on the floor that night. It certainly hadn't been restful.

After changing quickly, Gordon went into the living room to wake Kaley, who lay curled into a ball under the covers. "Kaley." He said. "Kaley, come on. It's time to wake up."

Kaley sat up and groaned. "What time is it?" She asked.

"Five-thirty." Gordon answered.

"What time's our flight?" Kaley yawned. 

"Six-forty-five." Gordon answered.

Kaley groaned again and got up. "OK, OK." She said.

"You go get ready." Gordon told her. "I'll fix the couch."

Kaley nodded and went into the bathroom. Gordon knew how to fold up a futon, but this one was a little harder than most. The frame was bulky and cumbersome, and the hinges were rusted tight. The years of being folded and unfolded were definitely taking their toll. Gordon shook his head. How many kids had to fold up their beds before school every day?

Kaley emerged from the bathroom wearing blue jeans and her Royals jersey. "All right." She picked up her suitcase. "I'm ready."

Gordon placed the last cushion on the couch and grabbed his own suitcase. "OK, let's go."

Kaley had never been on an airplane before. As she settled into her seat, she realized she had no idea what it would be like. "Is flying scary?" She asked as the stewardess began her explanation of how to use the seat belts and oxygen masks.

"Not really." Gordon replied. "Ever flown before?"

Kaley shook her head. "Nope."

Gordon buckled his seat belt. "It's not too scary." He assured her. "This should only be about three hours. And it's nonstop."

"So we don't have to switch planes or anything?" Kaley asked.

"Not this time." Gordon said.

The engines started up and the plane began rolling down the runway. It rolled faster and faster until he nose lifted and the plane shot into the air. Kaley closed her eyes as she felt an uncomfortable pressure against her chest. "What's that?" She asked Gordon.

"What's what?" He said.

"Why do I feel like someone's sitting on my chest?" Kaley said.

"G-forces." Gordon said. "Don't worry, they won't hurt you."

Soon the plane leveled off and the pressure eased. "Hey, Kaley, look out the window." Gordon said.

Kaley opened her eyes and peeked out the window. She was greeted by a blue sky and fluffy white clouds. "Wow." She said. "It looks so different."

"Pretty cool, huh?" Gordon asked.

"Definitely." Kaley said, leaning her face against the window. Baltimore had long ago been left behind, so she couldn't see it anymore. _So long, Baltimore. _She thought. _I'll see you around._

The plane began its descent into Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Kaley chewed her gum even harder to keep her ears from popping. _Geez, on the way up it's G-forces, and on the way down it's popping ears. What's next? Altitude sickness? _"Does this always happen?" She asked.

"Yeah." Gordon answered. "But I hear the more you fly, the less you feel it."

The plane touched down smoothly on the runway and the pilot came on the intercom. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Minneapolis." He said. "Outside, conditions are sunny with a light breeze and a temperature of seventy-three degrees. Thank you for flying US Airways and we hope you'll think of us next time you need air service."

After getting off the plane and claiming their luggage, Gordon and Kaley headed out to the parking lot. It wasn't as cold as Kaley had expected, and when she told Gordon so, he said, "It's only September, sweetie. Wait until November and _then _tell me how cold it is."

When they found Gordon's car, Kaley put her bag in the trunk and got in the passenger's seat. She forced down her fear of riding in the front seat. _Nothing will happen. _She told herself. _Gordon's a safe driver. Just relax. Everything will be OK. _

As she rode through Minneapolis, Kaley discovered it wasn't all that different from Baltimore. It was still a big city, and people still walked around wearing clothes from different countries and speaking different languages. Kaley was glad for that. She hadn't wanted to live in some cow town in the middle of nowhere. She was the ultimate city girl.

"Here we are." Gordon pulled up in front of an apartment building. It was slightly smaller than Kaley's had been in Baltimore. _Gosh, I sure hope the apartments aren't any smaller. _She thought, getting out and grabbing her suitcase from the trunk. As she and Gordon rode the elevator to the fifth floor, Kaley pondered her situation. _Three months ago I was a normal kid. Now my mom's dead and I'm stuck in a strange city with a guy I barely know. Shouldn't I be a little more stressed out? Is there some huge blowup on the way? I hope not. I've had enough of that lately._

Gordon led Kaley down the hall and stopped at an oak door. He fumbled with a set of keys for a moment, then opened the door and stepped inside. Kaley followed, not entirely sure what to expect. What she found was a clean, sparsely furnished apartment. It was pretty clear only one person had occupied it until now. One armchair sat in the living room, with a TV set on the other end. The living room alone looked bigger than Kaley's entire apartment had been in Baltimore. A dining room set was behind it, but it looked as if it was used rarely, if ever. Papers were piled on top of it. So many, in fact, that some had overflowed onto the chairs. The kitchen was a larger version of her old one-a refrigerator, an oven, a stove, counters, and a sink. To Kaley's left was a long, skinny hallway. On one side were three doors-one a coat closet, and the other two were closed so she couldn't see what they were. She guessed one of them would be her bedroom. On the other side of the hallway was a bathroom and Gordon's bedroom. On the end of the hallway was a laundry room.

Gordon cleared his throat. "I'm, uh…going to get the other bags." He said. "Go ahead and…um…make yourself comfortable."

Kaley nodded and sat down on the armchair. _He obviously doesn't have a whole lot of guests. _She thought, looking around and blinking back tears. _How will this ever feel like home?_


	7. Chapter Six: Settling In

AUTHOR'S NOTES: This chapter is probably the weakest of the story. I'm sorry. I noticed it was starting to ramble and I looked for the quickest way to wrap it up. I'm also getting a better idea of where the story will go from here. So new chapters will be coming as fast as I can spit them out. But I'm trying to figure out exactly how to change Kaley's name from Heller to Bombay…any suggestions?

A NEW LIFE – CHAPTER SIX – SETTLING IN

"Hang on…I've almost got this…"

Kaley bit back a laugh as she watched Gordon try to put her bed together. _Good thing he can play hockey. _She thought. _Cause we'd be starving if he had to do this for a living._

"Ah! There!" The whizzing noise of the screw gun stopped as the last screw was driven into place. "Done!"

_Finally. _Kaley thought. Gordon had just spent the past three hours trying to put her bedroom set together. It hadn't been funny for Gordon, but Kaley had found it hysterical.

"There." Gordon said, standing up. "You're all set."

"Thanks for the entertainment." Kaley said as Gordon left the room.

"Entertainment for you." Gordon said. "Hard work for me!"

Kaley just laughed and shut the door. Then she got to work arranging the bedroom. Her mother's bedroom set looked more like it would belong to a teenage girl than a thirty-year-old woman. The set consisted of a white daybed, dresser, desk, and nightstand. A white lamp with a pink shade completed the set. Kaley placed the lamp on the nightstand and began making the bed. She'd always been a nut for making sure everything matched and went in its place. The bedcovers were periwinkle, and Kaley pulled them taut before folding her pajamas and placing them near the pillow. She took her mother's jewelry case and opened it, taking Grandma Heller's ruby and diamond engagement ring out and putting it on the third finger of her right hand. It was a little big, so Kaley switched it to her middle finger. _Perfect. _She thought. Standing on her tiptoes, she put the jewelry case on the dresser.

Kaley took her mother's senior picture and put it next to the jewelry case. Stepping back, she took a moment to study it. _Funny, I _do _look a lot like her. _Se thought. People always told her so, but Kaley had never believed them. Now, looking at the picture, Kaley saw where those people were coming from. _Well, I guess that saves me from wondering what I'll look like in nineteen years._

Kaley surveyed the room. _Just one more thing. _She thought, pulling out her framed photo of the Royals and hanging it on the screw Gordon had placed behind her bed.

"There!" Kaley said, satisfied. The clothes still had to be put in the drawers, but she'd do that later. Tomorrow was her first day at Warroad St. Middle School.

"Kaley, wake up!"

Kaley bolted upright in bed. "What?" She gasped.

Gordon put a hand on her shoulder. "Whoa, easy now." He said. "It's just me. Time to get up."

Kaley groaned and flopped back down on the mattress. 

"You could skip today and go tomorrow." Gordon offered.

"No, no, that's all right." Kaley sat up again. "I'll go."

Gordon nodded and left the room. Kaley got up and put on a denim skirt with a white tank top. She quickly ran a brush through her blond hair. _It'll have to do. _She thought, looking at the clock. _Ugh! Six-thirty! What time does school start around here? _In Baltimore her school hadn't started until eight-forty-five and she's only lived ten minutes away. Some days, she could sleep until eight, maybe even eight-fifteen.

"What time does school start?" Kaley asked as she exited the bedroom.

"Eight." Gordon responded.

Kaley grabbed a bagel as it popped from the toaster. "How far away do we live?"

"Forty minutes. Your bus comes at eight-ten. Now eat." Gordon said, pointing to the bagel.

"Well, I sure won't be walking to school anymore." Kaley said, spreading butter over the bagel. As she bit into it, she nearly choked. "Wait, did you say _school bus?" _ She had ridden a school bus in second grade, and it had been awful.

"Yeah, is that OK?" Gordon said.

"Oh, yeah, uh, sure." Kaley said. "I'll be fine." _I hope._

Half an hour later, Kaley sat freezing at the bus stop. The sweatshirt jacket did little to shield her from the wind. _No doubt about it, this place is gonna need some warmer clothing. _

The bus pulled to the stop with that familiar squeal of school bus brakes. Kaley took a deep breath and hopped on. _Look, this isn't inner city Baltimore. These kids have got to be nicer than what I'm used to. _Nervously, Kaley looked for a seat. She'd never done too well with strangers, and nobody wanted the new kid to sit next to them. 

"Hey!" A female voice called. "This seat's open."

Kaley turned to her left. A pretty brown-haired girl about her age was giving Kaley a friendly smile. _Well, couldn't hurt. _She thought, taking the seat. "Uh, thanks."

"My name's Connie Moreau." The girl said. "What's yours?"

"Kaley Heller." Kaley responded. _Connie Moreau…that name sounds so familiar._

"Did you just move here?" Connie asked. "I don't think you've been on this bus before."

"Yeah, I moved here from Maryland last week." Kaley said. "My mom died and my dad got a job out here."

"Sorry about your mom." Connie said. "What kind of job did your dad get?"

"He plays hockey for the Minnesota Waves." Kaley said.

"Really?" Connie asked. "My old hockey coach is playing on that team. What's your dad's name? I'll bet they know each other."

It clicked. _Connie's one of the Ducks! _Kaley realized. Swallowing, she answered, "Gordon Bombay."

From the look on Connie's face, Kaley would have thought she'd just grown another head.

It was a very interesting day at school for Kaley. She was introduced to every single one of her classes. By the sixth time, she was getting tired of saying her name, where she was from, and why she'd moved. She'd recognized some of the Ducks, but fortunately none of them seemed to know who she was. Word must not have gotten out yet.

When Kaley got off the bus and entered the apartment, she saw Gordon getting ready to leave. "Kaley, we need to go to the skate shop." He said.

"Skate shop?" Kaley asked.

"Hans' place." Gordon clarified, taking his keys. "Come on."

"Hans?" Kaley asked. "Who's Hans?"

"You're about to find out." Gordon said, heading for the door. Kaley followed him.

A few minutes later, Gordon and Kaley pulled up in front of Hans' Sport Shop. "Gordon, why _are _we here?" Kaley asked. 

"So you can meet the Ducks." Gordon said, shutting off the car. "And so I can do some heavy-duty explaining."

"I already met Connie." Kaley said, getting out of the car.

"I know." Gordon said. "Apparently, she told the team and the rumors began flying. The team now believes I got your mom pregnant, there was a gunshot wedding, I ran out when you were born, and your grandparents excommunicated your mother and she ran away to Baltimore."

"That's not far from accurate." Kaley said.

"That's not our biggest problem." Gordon said as they entered the store. "The Ducks are a bit put off that I never told them. _That's _what we're here to straighten out."

The store was fascinating, but Kaley barely had time to look. A bunch of kinds swarmed around her and Gordon and immediately began firing questions. _These have gotta be the Ducks. _Kaley thought.

"Hold it!" Gordon held up his hands. "Everyone freeze!" The clamor died down a little bit.

"Why didn't you tell us, Coach?" A smallish black boy asked. _Jesse? _Kaley thought.

"Yeah, we got a right to know!" A chubby boy with a mop of curly black hair said. Kaley recognized him as the goalie, but couldn't remember his name.

"Hey, I said hold it!" Gordon said. "One question at a time. Ducks, meet Kaley. Kaley, meet the Ducks."

Kaley raised her hand and gave a little wave. "Hi, Ducks." She said, feeling a bit nervous.

"So how come you never told us?" Jesse persisted.

"And how come Kaley has a different last name than you do?" A tall, dark-haired kid asked from the back.

"If you'll quit throwing all these questions at me, I'll explain." Gordon said.

Kaley hung back, feeling a bit out-of-place. Gordon told the whole story: how he'd met Ashley, gotten her pregnant, how she'd thrown him out of her life, and how he'd wondered and worried about Kaley for eleven years until the phone call.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Charlie asked. Kaley remembered him the most clearly of all. He meant a lot to Gordon. She could tell.

"I never told _anyone, _Charlie." Gordon said patiently. "It wasn't just you guys-"

"People!" A blond girl said from the back row.

"Aw, Tammy, shut up." A short red-haired boy said. _Must be her brother. _Kaley thought with a smile.

"People." Gordon said with a sigh. "I didn't see the point. I thought I'd never see Kaley again. And it hurt too much to talk about it. I never thought it would come up again. I never meant to hurt any of you." He looked around the team, but his gaze lingered a little on Charlie.

For a moment, everything was silent. Kaley bit her lip. _Oh, gosh, they're going to hate me. _She thought. _I knew it, I just _knew _it…_

"Hey, um, it's OK." Charlie said. He turned to address the team. "No problem, right?" The team nodded slowly in agreement.

Kaley raised her eyebrows. "No problem?" She asked, surprised.

"Sure, no problem." Charlie said. "Welcome to the team."


	8. Chapter Seven: Trick Or Treat

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Thanks for waiting so long for this. The story is pretty close to done. Oh, and remember how I said not to expect much of the Ducks in here? Forget that. The Ducks will be featured fairly prominently from now on. Oh, and I put the District 5 pond behind Hans' Skate Shop because I felt like it. And I don't know for sure which character Dorothy Anne is (been awhile since I read _The Magic School Bus_), so I guessed it's the one Kaley's trying to dress up as. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

A NEW LIFE – CHAPTER SEVEN – TRICK OR TREAT

Kaley pulled her parka closer around her and shivered. Minnesota was already darn cold, and it was only October. The pond behind Hans' shop had already begun to freeze, and the Ducks were saying they could skate on it by Thanksgiving. The very thought of skating outdoors made Kaley shiver. She'd already made Gordon buy her a parka, even though it was, as he put it, "only forty degrees outside." _If the weather keeps progressing like this, I'll need four parkas. _Kaley thought.

"Hey, Kaley!" Kaley turned around and saw Connie waving to her from the other end of the schoolyard. Smiling, she headed over. The ducks had accepted Kaley with surprising-almost creepy-eagerness. _Well, guess they figure it's best not to get Coach's kid mad. _She thought.

"Hey Connie, what's up?" Kaley asked. "Oh, hi Lynnette." She said to Lynnette Brosnan, a girl from her history class.

"Hey, listen Kay, Lynnette and I were talking." Connie began. "We decided a whole bunch of us should do Halloween together."

"Halloween?" Kaley asked. She'd totally forgotten.

"Yeah, Halloween." Connie said. "You know: trick-or-treat, candy, costumes?"

"Oh, yeah, of course!" Kaley said. "I'd just forgotten." 

"So, you game?" Lynnette asked.

"Sure, but…when's trick-or-treat?" Kaley asked. "Gordon and I may be out of town."

Connie and Lynnette exchanged glances. "Next week; Thursday night." Lynnette said.

Kaley ran it through her mental calendar. "Yeah, sounds good."

"So, what are you?" Lynnette asked.

"Huh?" Kaley responded.

"What are you?" Connie repeated. "Costume?"

"I…I actually don't have one yet." Kaley stammered. "I didn't do a whole lot of trick-or-treating in Baltimore. Didn't live in the greatest neighborhood. My friend Aubrey and I used to put on our hockey jerseys and go in our apartment complex."

"That was it?" Lynnette asked, dumbfounded.

"Well, yeah, but we got lots of candy." Kaley said with a smile. "What are you two doing?"

"Guy and I are doing the _Star Wars _thing." Connie said. "Guy's going as Luke Skywalker and I'm Princess Leia."

Kaley smiled. "Ah yes, you two will be so cute together."

Connie blushed. "I think Charlie's gonna be Marty McFly…you know, from _Back to the Future?" _When Kaley nodded, Connie continued; "Tammy's gonna be some figure skater, and Averman…" She giggled. "Averman's a clown."

"Well, it certainly suits him." Kaley said. "What about you, Lynnie?"

Lynnette gave an embarrassed smile. "Velma from _Scooby-Doo." _She said. "My Great Dane Thor is gonna be Scooby." 

Kaley suppressed a laugh. With short, thick brown hair and black glasses, Lynnette certainly did fit the Velma part perfectly. 

The bell rang, forcing the girls to cut their conversation short. "Listen, I'll think about it and tell you guys tomorrow, OK?"

Connie and Lynnette nodded. "Right, got it."

Kaley headed into the school. _Great. _She thought. _Now what am I gonna do?_

Kaley breezed into the apartment at two-thirty that afternoon and found Gordon sitting on the recliner reading a book. "Hi, Kaley." He said. "How'd school treat you?"

"No worse than normal." Kaley dropped her backpack on the floor near the coat closet. "Connie and Lynnette decided a bunch of us should do Halloween together."

"Sounds cool to me." Gordon said. "Any ideas for a costume?"

"Not really." Kaley admitted. "When I trick-or-treated in Baltimore, Aubrey and I used to put on our hockey jerseys and go to different apartments in our building. When people asked what we were, we'd tell them we were Wayne Gretzky's nieces."

Gordon chuckled, glad to see Kaley was getting involved with the kids at her school. "When's trick-or-treat?"

"Next Thursday night." Kaley said. "We'll be here, right?"

"Should be." Gordon said. "Even if we're not, maybe you could stay with Connie."

"OK." Kaley said. "Well, I'm going to see what I can come up with."

"Have fun." Gordon said as Kaley closed the door to her room.

Kaley stood in front of her dresser. "Let's see…what have we in here?" She said out loud to herself. Ashley had always referred to Kaley's clothing as "gunny sacks" because they were all so loose and casual. _Maybe I could go as a bag lady. _Kaley thought wryly. Opening the top of her drawer, she found a light purple turtleneck sweater he mother had bought her at a yard sale a few years back. Ashley had been an expert bargain hunter. The people at Goodwill had known her by name, she'd kept her eyes out for yard sales, visited the flea market on a regular basis, and dashed to Wal-Mart every time there was a sale. Kaley didn't think she'd worn new clothes for ages.

_Well, maybe I could do something with this. _Kaley thought, opening another drawer. A lime green skirt glared out at her. _Ugh. What flea market did Mom get _this _at?_ Kaley wondered. _Hmmm…what would this look like? _She thought, holding the ensemble in front of her. _I could be someone who lost a bet._

Kaley's eyes fell on an old copy of _The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System. _"That's it!" She said out loud. "Dorothy Anne!"

"Who?" Gordon asked from the hallway.

"Nothing, never mind." Kaley said. "Just found a costume, that's all."

"Who's Dorothy Anne?" Gordon asked. "Friend of yours?"

"Uh, no, not really." Kaley said. "Just found a costume, that's all."

"Well, all right." Gordon said. "Come on. It's time for dinner."

"Ooh." Kaley emerged from the bedroom. "Are we cooking tonight or ordering in?"

"We're making our favorite thing for dinner." Gordon announced.

Kaley rolled her eyes, knowing what was coming.

"Phone calls." They finished together.

"Oh my gosh, Kaley, that's hysterical!" Connie laughed as Kaley stepped out of the apartment. "You look _just _like Dorothy Anne!"

"Really?" Kaley gave each of her pigtails a tug. "And you look just like Princess Leia."

"Why thank you." Connie gave a twirl of her white dress.

_"Hya!" _Guy grunted, jumping around the corner with a toy lightsaber extended. "You killed my father!"

"Cute, Guy, real cute." Connie grumbled.

"See you at seven, Gordon!" Kaley called.

"See you then!" Gordon hollered back. "Have fun! And make sure you get lots of health food, like crackers and seven-grain bagels!"

"Yeah, right." Kaley laughed, closing the door.

Soon, the group had met up with Charlie, dressed very convincingly as Marty McFly (right down to the "life preserver," or the bright orange down vest), and Lynnette, looking so Velma it was scary. Thor even had a collar that looked like Scooby-Doo's.

"Trick-or-treat!" The group hollered when they got to Hans' skate shop.

"Oh, look who it is." Hans laughed, giving them each a handful of candy. 

"Hey, thanks!" Kaley said. "Does he always give this much?" She asked Connie.

"He doesn't have a whole lot of other trick-or-treaters." Connie explained. 

"Plus, he loves us." Charlie put in.

After a few moments, Connie asked, "So, why don't you call Coach 'dad'?"

"Huh?" Connie asked. "Oh, uh, I dunno. Just doesn't feel right, I guess."

"Why not?" Connie asked. "I mean, can I ask?"

"Oh, yeah, sure." Kaley said. "It's just…well…I mean, I still don't really _know _him all that well-"

"But still, I mean, he is your father." Connie said. "If he'd decided to give up on you when your mom died, you'd probably still be in inner city Baltimore, living in a foster home waiting to be adopted."

"Sometimes I wonder." Kaley said as they approached another house.

"Trick-or-treat!" Charlie, Lynnette, and Guy yelled. Connie and Kaley had been so busy talking that they'd missed their chance.

"Well, look at y'all." A thirtyish woman with a thick Southern accent said as she handed them all their candy. "Now it's cold out tonight, y'all. Don't go catchin' pneumonia!"

"It's not cold." Charlie said as they walked away from the house. "It's…nippy."

"What were you saying?" Connie asked.

"Oh, I was saying that sometimes I wonder if he just did it out of obligation." Kaley said. "And sure, he's here now, but…he _was _gone for my whole life."

Connie shook her head. "Uh-uh. No way." She said confidently. "Coach wouldn't do that, Kaley. I'll bet you anything he didn't want you in a foster home. He _wanted _to see you. He wanted to make up for lost time and have a relationship with you and give you a chance for a better life. I think that qualifies him as 'dad.'"

"Hmmm." Kaley said. It certainly did give her something to chew on.

Gordon glanced at the clock. Quarter to seven. Kaley would be home soon. Just then, the door banged open. Gordon turned around and saw a very cold-looking Kaley. "Chilly out there?" He asked.

"Yeah." Kaley said. "I had them drop me off early. Couldn't take it anymore. Hey, um, I was kinda wondering…"

"Yes?" Gordon prompted.

"Uh…well…" Kaley looked up at him with a sheepish smile. "Can I call you dad?"

Gordon grinned and wrapped her into a huge hug. "Oh, Kaley." He said. "I can't think of anything I'd like to be called more."


	9. Chapter Eight: Thanksgiving in New York

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Hey guys. This is probably the second or third to last chapter of this story. Sorry it's so long. And I don't know exactly how close Tiffany's is to FAO Schwarz. But hey, the Ducks rollerbladed over 50 miles to round everyone up in _D2. _So don't go calling me geographically challenged :).

A NEW LIFE – CHAPTER EIGHT – THANKSGIVING IN NEW YORK

"Yow! Sure is cold out here." Gordon commented to his teammate, Michael Lemieux. 

"And windy." Michael pulled his jacket closer around him and stepped onto the team bus. "Is it always cold like this?"

"Got me." Gordon said. "Never been to New York City before."

Michael and Gordon took a seat near the front of the bus. "I can't believe they had us play a game the day before Thanksgiving." Michael said. "Usually Charlotte and Michelle and I spend Thanksgiving vacation with Charlotte's parents in Michigan."

"What are you doing this year?" Gordon asked.

"Heading out tomorrow, right after we get home." Michael said. "What about you and Kaley?"

"We'll probably end up going out." Gordon said. "Unless she wants to eat grilled cheese for Thanksgiving dinner." 

"She's a kid, Gordo, that would probably be fine with her." Michael said.

"Good point." Gordon said. "Man, this would be a whole lot easier if I'd just get married."

"What's the rush?" Michael asked.

"What's the rush?" Gordon repeated. "Mikey, I'm almost thirty-one years old!"

"So?" Michael shrugged. "My brother was thirty-four when he got married."

"Did he already have a kid to take care of?" Gordon asked. "And a career that made him jump all over the country?"

Michael sighed. "I see your point." He said.

Gordon glanced out the window right as the bus passed Tiffany's Jewelers. "I've got it." He breathed.

"Got what?" Michael asked.

"Oh, uh, nothing." Gordon said. "Hey, Mikey, when's our next game out here?"

"I think the fifteenth of December. Why?" Michael asked.

"Just curious." Gordon said. _Oh, yes. This is just too perfect. _

Gordon's mind was going a mile a minute by the time the Waves reached the hotel. _This is the best. I can sneak out to Tiffany's next time we're out here, get the ring, and give it to Casey for Christmas. It's perfect. _

Nobody knew it except for the Ducks and Gordon, but Gordon thought Casey Conway was God's gift to the world. He'd fallen for her during his stint with the Ducks, and he loved her son Charlie like his own. Gordon knew Casey would make a fine mother for Kaley.

When Gordon and Michael reached the Lemieuxs' hotel room, they found Kaley playing Go Fish with Michael's daughter Michelle. Michael's wife, Charlotte, sat feeding their six-month-old son Nicholas. 

"Hey kids." Michael said.

"Go fish, Michelle." Kaley said. "Hi! How'd everything go?"

"We won." Gordon announced proudly. "Three to two. Scored the last two goals right as third period was winding down."

"All right!" Michelle said. "Go Waves!"

"Come on, Kaley." Gordon said. "Time to go."

"But Dad!" Kaley protested.

"Just one more game, _please?" _Michelle begged.

Michael looked down at the cards. "I'd quit now, Kaley." He said. "You're winning."

"Kaley, we have an early flight tomorrow." Gordon said. "Come on, we need to sleep."

"Oh, all right." Kaley grumbled. "Thanks for the game, Michelle."

"Anytime, Kaley." Michelle grinned.

_Brrrrrring!_

The jangling phone yanked Gordon out of a sound sleep. _What the heck? _He reached over and picked up the phone. "H'lo?"

"Bombay, this is Davis." Davis' voice said on the other end.

"Davis, what is this about?" Gordon asked. "It's five-thirty!"

"Our flight's been cancelled." Davis said. "The weather's wretched."

"It is?" Gordon asked.

"Yeah!" Davis said. "Been snowing for the past two hours and not supposed to stop till late tonight. We're taking the first plane out Friday morning."

"Snow?" Gordon asked.

"Yeah, snow!" Davis said. "Ya know, fluffy white stuff that comes out of the sky in the winter?"

Gordon was becoming annoyed with his coach. "Yeah, yeah, I know what snow is. Thanks for calling. Now let me get some sleep."

"Certainly." Davis said.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Coach." Gordon added.

"Yeah, you too, Bombay." Davis said.

The conversation had woken Kaley up. "What's going on?" She yawned.

"We're stuck here for the day." Gordon said, getting out of bed. "Apparently it's…good golly!" He gasped, looking out the window.

"What?" Kaley asked.

"Snowing." Gordon said. "Wow, look at it!"

"Snow!" Kaley said. "Wow, cool! I'm gonna go tell Michelle!"

"Kaley!" Gordon called to his daughter's retreating form. "Stop! The Lemieuxs probably aren't awake-"

Right as Kaley entered the hallway, the Lemieuxs' door burst open and a very excited Michelle jumped into the hallway. "Kaley! It's _snowing!" _She squealed.

"Hey, kids, quiet down!" Michael admonished, following Michelle into the hallway. "The humans are trying to sleep!"

Kaley and Michelle ran down the hall to get a better look at the snow. "Goodness, you'd think they'd never seen snow before." Charlotte yawned, coming out of the room.

"Kaley never has." Gordon said. "Well, not real snow, anyway." He glanced at his watch. Not even six, but apparently they were up for the day. There would be no getting Kaley and Michelle back to bed now.

"Dear, we have a dilemma." Charlotte said, squeezing Michael's shoulder.

"And it is?" Michael asked.

"We didn't pack for two days." Charlotte said. "None of us have clothes for today."

"Oh." Michael said, biting his lip. "I never thought of that."

"Thought of what?" Michelle asked as she and Kaley ran back from the window.

"We don't have enough clothes." Charlotte said.

"So? Let's go shopping!" Michelle said.

_"No way." _Kaley said firmly. She hated shopping.

"Well…we have no option." Michael said.

"Darling, there's _nowhere _in this whole city that will accommodate a Lemieux budget." Charlotte said.

"Or a Bombay budget." Gordon put in.

"But there's a Bradlee's right up the street!" Michelle said.

"Things are expensive in New York, Kaley." Gordon explained.

"Why?" Kaley asked.

"Because they're in New York." Gordon said.

"That's not a reason." Kaley said.

Gordon was beginning to get annoyed. "All right, all right." He said. "Look, let's…make do with what we have, and if we see a place that will fit our budgets, then _maybe _we'll go in and buy something. OK?"

Half an hour later, dressed in combinations of their pajamas and clothes from the day before, The Bombays and the Lemieuxs were out on the very chilly, snowy streets of New York. 

"Christmas stuff? Already?" Kaley asked.

"It's just Thanksgiving!" Michelle said.

"They start early around here." Charlotte explained.

"Hey, look!" Kaley said. "FAO Schwarz! The world's biggest toy store! Can we stop?"

"I guess so." Michael said. "It'll be warmer than hanging around out here, anyway."

Gordon looked down the street. Tiffany's. "Hey, uh, you guys go in." He said. "I've got an errand to run."

Kaley and the Lemieuxs looked a bit puzzled, but nodded.

"Hey, Michelle, check this out!" Kaley called to her friend.

Michelle walked over to look at the toy Kaley was holding. "Wow." She said. "He sure is cute."

"And big." Kaley said. "How can you sleep with a stuffed animal this big? He'd take up half the bed."

"I dunno." Michelle said. "Hey, where'd your dad go, anyhow?"

"Who knows?" Kaley shrugged. "I'm not gonna ask."

Gordon exited Tiffany's and pulled his jacket closer around him. He opened the small black velvet box in his hand and smiled at the ring that peeked out at him. A simple diamond solitaire perched on a gold band. Casey was going to love it.

"Dad!" Hearing his daughter's voice, Gordon snapped the box closed and stuffed it in his pocket. "Hey, Dad!" Kaley ran up to him.

"Hi sweetie." Gordon said. "See anything in FAO Schwarz?"

"Too much." Michelle said. "Toy overload. Where you been, anyway?"

"Around." Gordon said, hoping they would see that was all he would give them and move on.

"Um, OK." Michael said. "Where to now?"

 After a nice, albeit chilly day wandering around New York, the Bombays and the Lemieuxs needed to decide where to have dinner. Every restaurant in the city seemed to be closed, packed, or too expensive.

"Look!" Michelle said. "There's TGI Friday's!"

"For Thanksgiving dinner?" Michael asked. "They won't have turkey there, honey."

"So?" Michelle asked. "Every place that _does _have turkey is closed."

"Dear, we really need to stop for awhile." Charlotte said. "I need to give Nicholas his bottle, and it's cold out here."

Michael looked at Gordon, who shrugged. "Well, all right." Michael said.

"We do need to stop." Gordon said.

TGI Friday's turned out to be expensive, but the food wasn't all that bad. And the restaurant was heated, a necessity for Kaley.

"You need thicker blood, Kaley." Michelle teased as the waiter brought their food.

"Brrr." Kaley shivered, wrapping her hands around her mug of hot chocolate."

_"Please _tell me there's actual snow in Baltimore." Michael said.

"Sometimes." Kaley said. "Not very often, though. And it never stayed around very long."

"Hm." Charlotte said as she observed the food around the table. "No turkey, huh?"

Kaley held up one of her chicken fingers and grinned. "Chicken fingers. That's close."

"Well, this is certainly a unique Thanksgiving." Michael said. "Snow, in New York, eating chicken fingers."

Kaley took a bite. "Mm, they're good too." She said. "Much better than turkey."

"To be a kid again, huh?" Michael laughed.

"Mm-hm." Gordon said thoughtfully. _In a year, Casey, Kaley, Charlie, and I will be sitting around the table. _He slipped his hand into his pocket and fingered the box that held Casey's ring. _I just hope she says yes._


	10. Chapter Nine: Dropping the Bomb

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Heyyy everyone! This is the second to last chapter of this story. I don't know what I'll do for the last chapter. It'll be something with Christmas. Probably the Ducks on a snow day or something. Anyhoo…this is kinda angsty, but not too bad. Oh, and I didn't write about changing Kaley's name from Heller to Bombay, but let's just say it happened. I have absolutely no clue how those things work and it would be a really dull chapter anyway. The lyrics to _Without You _belong to Deborah Craig-Claar, and the music belongs to Mark Hayes.

A NEW LIFE – CHAPTER NINE – DROPPING THE BOMB

"Does the snow _ever _stop around here?" Kaley asked.

"Not really." Gordon said, opening the door to his apartment. "Well, around March or April."

"Brrr." Kaley shivered. "Michelle's right; I really should go for a transfusion."

Gordon laughed and looked through the mail he'd brought up from their mailbox downstairs. "Oh, Kaley, here's your new social security card and everything."

"Right." Kaley said, opening the envelope Gordon handed her. She looked at the name on the card. Kaley Lynne Bombay. She still couldn't quite get used to it. Especially since her hockey jersey still said "Heller" on the back. But she got so sick of people asking her why she had a different last name than her father, and since Bombay would have been her last name anyway, she decided to change her name. Kaley Bombay. She smiled. _Oddly enough, it works._

The phone jangled, and since Kaley was closest, she picked it up. "Hello, Kaley Hel-Kaley Bombay speaking." She quickly corrected herself.

"Hi, it's Charlie." Charlie's dull, flat voice came on the other end.

"Charlie!" Kaley said. "What's up?" She paused, noticing how uncharacteristically devoid of emotion Charlie had seemed when she answered. "Is everything OK?" She asked. "You sound kinda…out there."

"Yeah, everything's fine." Charlie said, still sounding as if he'd just seen a ghost. "Is your dad in?"

"Sure, we just got back." Kaley said. "He's right here." She handed the receiver to her dad and said, "Charlie."

Gordon nodded and placed the receiver to his ear. "Charlie? What's up?" Then his face drained of color. "What? She's getting _married?_…Charlie, is this a sick joke?…Yes, so do I. When?…That soon, huh? I'm sorry Charlie."

Kaley looked at her father and mouthed "what?" 

Gordon shushed her and continued talking to Charlie. "Yes, Charlie, I know…I'm sure it's not that bad…I'm sure Scott will make a fine father for you, or your mother wouldn't have-…Thank you, Charlie." After a few more seconds, Gordon hung up the phone.

"Dad?" Kaley asked cautiously. "Is…is everything OK?"

"Charlie's mom is getting married." Gordon responded.

"Oh." Kaley said. "And that's not good?"

"Not for Charlie, anyway." Gordon said. "He doesn't like Scott-that's Casey's fiancé-too much. Says he always smells like beer."

"What?" Kaley raised her eyebrows. "Oh, Dad, I can't imagine Casey choosing someone like that!" Kaley had only met Casey Conway once, but she was sure Casey wouldn't choose to marry someone who always smelled like beer.

"I'm only telling you what Charlie told me." Gordon said. 

Kaley looked at her father. "You really liked her, huh?"

Gordon nodded. "Mm-hm."

"You still like her." Kaley observed.

"She's getting married." Gordon said shortly. "And there's nothing I can do about it." He seemed to be convincing himself more than Kaley.

Kaley nodded. _Mm-hm…but you sure wish there were. _

Gordon entered his bedroom and sat down on his bed. Sighing, he reached into his nightstand's drawer and pulled out Casey's ring. _Well, so much for that one. _He thought. _Strike two. I had a chance with Ashley, and she booted me out of her life, and now Casey's done the same thing. Only…not so overtly. _

_"You'd make a way better dad than Scott ever would." _Charlie's dejected words rang in Gordon's head. Snapping the box closed, Gordon put it back in the drawer. His common sense told him to return the ring on the Waves' next game in New York, but he just couldn't bring himself to do that. _Great. So I've just blown three thousand bucks on a ring for a woman who's engaged to someone else. _

The wedding was December twenty-ninth. And Gordon and Kaley were invited. Gordon couldn't think of anything he'd like to do less. Charlie had even said Casey wanted Gordon and Scott to meet. _Can't imagine why she thought _that_ would be a good idea. _He thought. _Am I _ever _going to get a woman who doesn't either kick me out of her life or find someone else?_

Two days later, Gordon decided to pick Kaley up from school because it was snowing yet again. "Hi, Dad." She said cheerfully, sliding into the car. "Gosh! It's freezing!"

"Mmm." Gordon said.

Kaley looked at him. "Dad, you have _gotta _get out of this funk." She said. "It's been two days!" She began fiddling with the radio. Gordon didn't feel like stopping her, so he just let her fool with the tuning button. "Oh! Here's one!" She said.

Each day I sit at home/Waiting by my telephone/Knowing I will be alone once more 

"Kaley, _what _is this?" Gordon asked.

"A song" Kaley answered.

Wishing you could be/Sitting here with me/But it's just a fantasy for/Without you/My white Christmas is blue/Snowmen melt in the sun/And Christmas cards come/With postage due

"Kaley, this is the stupidest song I've ever heard!" Gordon said.

"Come on, Dad, just let me listen!" Kaley answered.

Without you/Rudolph's nose just won't shine/And my needles are dry/And reindeer can't fly/And church bells won't chime/If you're not mine

_Oh my gosh, just shoot me now. _Gordon thought.

_But if you were here/I'd hold you so near/There'd be holiday cheer/And a happy new year/But you're not so I'm caught in this spot so distraught/Oh what can I do/Without you/I've bid romance adieu/And my fire won't burn/And so I just turn/And close up the flue/_

"Kay, what on earth do you see in this song?" Gordon asked. It was beginning to get on his nerves.

"I don't know." Kaley said. "I guess it's just so stupid it's funny."

_My tinsel all has been tangled/My jingle bells have been jangled/My choir leader I've strangled/Without you_

"Kaley, _please _let me change the station." Gordon begged, reaching for the tuning button.

Kaley slapped his hand out of the way. "No! It's almost done!"

"Kaley!" Gordon snapped.

Kaley sighed. "OK, OK, _please _let me finish it?"

"All right." Gordon placed his hand back on the wheel.

Without you/My heart's broken in two/Santa Clause isn't fat/Bing Crosby sings flat/And bills are all due/That special day's ordinary/I'll just wait for January/For Christmas won't be merry/Without you

"There." Kaley said as the last strains of the song faded away. "It's done. You can change the station now." 

"Thank you." Gordon fiddled with the tuning button for a few seconds before deciding there was nothing worth listening to and shutting the radio off. The real reason he'd wanted to get rid of that song was that it hit so close to home. Especially now, as they were headed to Casey and Scott's engagement party.

The engagement party wasn't really much of a party, Kaley thought. Most of the Ducks came, but spent the whole time trying to cheer up Charlie, who looked devastated. The atmosphere felt more like a wake than a party. The only people who seemed even remotely happy to be there were Casey and Scott. Kaley discovered Charlie was right: Scott did smell like beer. And cigarettes. 

Gordon and Kaley made an appearance, said congratulations, and left. As they were getting their coats, Kaley heard Casey's sister Helen saying, "That man is nothing but trouble. I'm telling you, Kevin. I don't know what Casey ever saw in him."

"The same thing she saw in Charlie's father." Kevin said. "Helen, your father was a drunk. Casey's naturally attracted to men who remind her of your father."

"I was attracted to you." Helen said. "And you're not a drunk."

Kaley was itching to hear more, but Gordon grabbed her arm and took her toward the door. When they reached their car, Kaley asked her dad, "So, what did you think?"

"I think Scott's gonna be big trouble." Gordon stated bluntly, getting into the driver's seat.

"Dad…" Kaley started.

"Don't start." Gordon cut her off. "It's not because I'm jealous. It's because I truly think so."

"Do you think it's true, what Helen said about women wanting to marry men like their father?" Kaley asked.

"Not necessarily." Gordon said. "It's not so much that women _want _to marry men like their fathers, Kay, it just sort of happens."

Kaley was confused. "Huh?" 

"It's hard to explain." Gordon said. 

"You really wanted to marry Casey, didn't you?" Kaley asked, changing the subject. She'd never been one for deep meaning-of-life discussions, and figured now was no time to start.

"Yes, Kaley." Gordon said. "I did." 

"You really love Charlie, don't you?" Kaley asked.

Gordon's grip on the wheel tightened as he pulled the car out of the driveway. "Like my own son, Kaley."

Kaley didn't say anything else, but she thought, _Yeah. And Charlie loves you like a father. He deserves better than Scott, and you know it. _But she wisely kept her mouth shut.


	11. Chapter Ten: Merry Christmas, Ducks

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Here it is, everyone…the very last chapter. Whew! Never thought I'd get there. I wanted to end on a happy note, so I did something with Christmas. The next story is completed on paper, but I'm gonna take a small break before I start posting it.

A NEW LIFE – CHAPTER TEN – MERRY CHRISTMAS, DUCKS

Kaley exited the school building and sighed happily. Christmas break had finally arrived, and now she was home free for two weeks. _What am I ever going to do with all this time? _She thought. _Well, I could stand outside and try to thicken up my blood, or see if I could coerce Dad into actually putting some decorations up, or…_

"Kaley! Yo! Kaley! Hey!" Kaley turned around and found a very urgent Connie running across the schoolyard to her. "I've been looking everywhere for you! Are you coming?"

"Coming where?" Kaley asked, confused.

"To Hans'!" Connie said. "We're gonna help decorate the shop a little bit. We do it every year."

"Oh?" Kaley said. "Well, um…I'll have to ask Dad."

"He already knows." Connie said. "He's bringing the tree. Come on! We're not that far away; we can walk."

_"Walk?" _Kaley asked. "Connie, It's _December!" _

"I know." Connie said. "Let's go!"

_Well, I did say I want to thicken my blood. _Kaley thought, following Connie.

"Hey guys! I could use some help here!" Averman called from his precarious perch on top of a stepladder, trying to hang a garland over the cash register.

_"People!" _Tammy Duncan called out indignantly, slinging some lights over a window.

"Forget it, Averman." Peter Mark said. "None of us are getting on that stepladder."

"Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas, Ducks!" Every single head turned and saw Gordon entering the shop with a Christmas tree.

"Hans! The tree's here!" Tommy Duncan said, running to help Gordon carry the tree in.

"All right, all right." Hans chuckled. "Easy, now. Tommy, come help me get the tree stand. The rest of you get the decorations."

The Ducks all crowded into a closet and began unloading boxes of decorations. "Here are the lights!" Kaley announced, holding up a white trash bag.

"Hi, everyone!" A cheery female voice said, accompanied by the jingle bells Hans had tied to the door. Kaley saw Casey entering with a plate of brownies. "I brought the food. Who's first?"

"Food!" Goldberg dropped the ornament he was holding-fortunately, it was wooden-and ran over to Casey.

"Hold it, Goldie." Peter said. "The rest of us want some too, ya know?"

Gordon glanced up at Casey, and was depressed when he saw Scott enter behind her. _Scott Farquar. _He thought with disgust. _What kind of name is Farquar? _He strained to look at Casey's left hand. On the third finger sat an absolutely infinitesimal diamond. _Couldn't even get her a decent ring. _Gordon thought, remembering the diamond he had in his bedside drawer. But he didn't want to look like he was staring, so he went back to setting up the tree.

Once all the Ducks had gotten their brownies and had begun decorating the tree, Scott kissed Casey on the cheek and went out to the car. Gordon saw his chance to talk to Casey alone for a minute. He could see the dread in her face the second he began walking in her direction. "Gordon-" Casey tried.

"Why, Casey?" Gordon asked.

"Gordon, I don't want to talk about this right now." Casey said.

"Well, I do." Gordon said firmly. "I want to know why you didn't wait for me."

Casey looked uncomfortable. "Because…I didn't…you never called, Gordon. Never wrote, never tried to keep in touch."

Gordon nodded. He had to give her that. "And?"

"And…well…Scott walked into the diner one day, and it was just…we just clicked. He makes a good salary, maybe enough to get me into nursing school. He's a good man, Gordon. He'll be a good father for Charlie."

Gordon decided to quit mincing words. "OK, sure, but he smells like beer." He stated bluntly.

Casey snorted. "Gordon, he's trying to quit drinking and smoking." She said. 

"Mm-hm." Gordon said, looking past Casey. In the window he could clearly see Scott smoking a cigarette.

"Let's face it, Gordon." Casey said. "There's nothing between us. There never was. Charlie loves you like a father. Can't we just leave it at that?"

Before Gordon could answer, Scott entered the store. "Am I interrupting anything?" He asked, slipping his arm possessively around Casey's waist.

Casey looked up and gave her fiancé a smile. "No, not at all." She said, turning her gaze to Gordon.

"Hey Coach!" Fulton called. "Hey! Come on!"

"The, uh, the kids need me." Gordon said lamely, heading over to the tree.

"How do you work these things?" Goldberg asked. He was completely tangled up in lights. 

"Here, Goldberg." Adam sighed, trying to untangle the goalie. 

"Gosh, there are way too many ornaments in here for just one tree." Kaley said, picking through the box.

"Look!" Charlie grabbed an ornament from the box and read the writing on it. "Minneapolis Mighty Ducks Peewee Champions 1992!"

"That one needs to go up front." Hans said, placing the ornament on the front.

"Man, Goldberg, I'm glad you don't have a Christmas tree in your house!" Connie laughed, watching Adam try to untangle Goldberg.

"Hey, I resent that." Goldberg said.

"Have you ever lit anything on fire with the menorah?" Fulton asked.

"No!" Goldberg said indignantly. "Come on, guys, is there anything wrong with being accident prone?"

"Let's use another string of lights." Tommy said, taking another string out of the bag.

After stringing the lights, the ornaments were placed on the tree. The girls constantly fought over where each ornament should be placed, while the boys just placed them on the tree at random. Connie, Kaley, and Tammy were badgering the boys about this when Averman looked out the window and said. "Hey! It's snowing! Let's go out back and skate!"

The kids quickly abandoned the tree and grabbed their skates. "Remember to wear hats and gloves, kids!" Casey called. "And don't forget your coats!" But her words of wisdom seemed to go unnoticed by the pack of antsy skaters.

"Hey Dad! Watch this!" Kaley called, trying to do a spin on her skates.

"Doesn't work on hockey skates, Kaley!" Gordon called out, laughing.

"No, Kaley, like this!" Tammy said, demonstrating the spin again.

"I'm not a figure skater, Tammy!" Kaley said. "I play hockey! I do triple dekes, not triple axels!"

"Watch it!" Came a shout, and the next thing Kaley knew she was on the ice. "Ow! Charlie! Hey!" She lunged over and tackled Charlie.

Gordon had to laugh watching them. _They act like they're brother and sister. _He thought, looking over at Casey and Scott. He pulled Kaley's hockey picture from his coat pocket. Looking at the birthday, he jumped. "June eleventh." He whispered. "Casey?" He asked. "When's Charlie's birthday?"

"June eleventh, 1981." She asked. "Why?"

"Just curious." Gordon said, looking at the picture again. _June eleventh, 1981. _He thought. _They could be twins! _

"Kaley! Kay, come on! Stop!" Charlie said, giggling helplessly.

"No way!" Kaley said. "You're way too much fun to wrestle with!"

"Oh yeah?" Charlie sat up and took Kaley to the ice.

"Charlie, stop it. Seriously." Kaley said breathlessly.

Charlie backed off. "OK." He said. "Are you all right?"

Kaley sat up. "I think so." She said. "Yeah, I'm good." She got up and began skating. "Hey Spazway! I'll race ya!"

"Hey!" Charlie scrambled to his feet. "Hey, how'd you find out about Spazway?"

"Catch me if you can!" Kaley took off. As Charlie followed her, she drew in a breath of the cold air. She missed Baltimore and the Royals, but she had to admit the Royals couldn't compare to the Ducks. Coach Evans was good to the Royals, but her dad was a father to the Ducks. And the Ducks treated each other like family. With all they'd been through, it really wasn't surprising. _Maybe someday they'll get another coach. _Kaley thought. _And I can play a game with them. _That _would be cool. Who would've thought that one car crash could change my life? And for the better? I'm out of the bad part of Baltimore-Mom always said someday we'd get out of there-and I have a whole new life in Minnesota. Life is beautiful._


End file.
